I hope you take a childbirth class. It is good to prepare for this most important life event! Your class will talk about stages of labor, what to do in labor, and how to physically prepare for labor. But there is a greater preparation for labor that is largely ignored: our spiritual orientation. This is in reality most important, because we are but stewards of God for the outcome of this birth: a new person entering the world! To examine this, let us look at two mindsets toward birth, both represented in the first birther, Eve. I will call them the Genesis 3 or Genesis 4 mindset. Let us examine these passages.
First, Genesis 3:
Gen 3: 1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3 but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’”4 “You will not surely die,” the serpent said to the woman. 5 “For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.
This represents the dominant attitude in society. Fallen man. Eve-what did she do? She turned away from God, negated His word, doubted His goodness, turned away from her husband, chose for self, sight and sense and disregarded the consequences of her actions. She threw away her progeny. She leaned on her own understanding, acted independently and brought humankind into sin, sickness and death. She failed to see clearly. Her vision was clouded by sense and sensuality. We see also the inversion and perversion of male-female relationships-desire-she would want to dominate the man and his rule of her would be in harshness. 3:16 Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.”
We see this in the ‘me’ oriented, female dominated society. This rules our orientation towards childbirth. It is about me, my experience in birth is pain, pain is considered bad, we are ruled by flesh rather than God, and the flesh does not like pain, so the orientation is avoidance of pain. Consequences and long term outcomes are disregarded for immediate ease and relief. Eve was created to rely on God and husband but chose independent action and desire to have knowledge without reliance on God. She would rather discard her relationship with Him than be a humble dependent creature, and have knowledge apart from God and rule herself independent of Him. God gave her a body to serve Him but she would use it for self gratification. Consequences follow these choices. The choices spring from the mindset. The mindset is from the fallen nature, ruled by flesh. Women make choices for self gratification to the detriment of their children and reap the consequences.
Secondly, Genesis 4 mindset.
Notice the contrast: Gen 4:1 … She said, “With the help of the LORD I have brought forth a man.” We do not know the intervening account between Gen 3 and 4. Some kind of awareness came upon Eve. Could she have felt the stinging consequences of her unbelief and independent action? The cold world of life outside of relationship with God. The great mercy that God would continue the race through her and promise a redeemer. The creation of a person. This is beyond us. The delivery of a person we realize too is beyond us. It is with the help of the Lord. I can prove this to you: tell yourself to contract. You cannot! Tell your cervix to open. It does not. Tell your breasts to make milk. That does not work! The very design oozes the concept that we are but stewards of God’s work in and through our bodies, which are mere vessels for Him. The child- this was not her doing, she could not create a human being! Yes, we are involved in the conception, but we certainly are not creating this person! It is the gift of God for which we are but stewards. The delivery-this is the work of God in our bodies of which we are but stewards and called to be yielded, living sacrifices as in Rom 12: 1-2
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual[a] act of worship. 2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
Two mindsets. 1) Do you see this process as the result of bind random chance, a mere physiologic function, or 2) the result of God’s work in you?
Healthcare people are the most at risk in this. We are the strong, capable, knowledgeable ones who are in control and make things better. This is the medical model. It is a detrimental mindset when applied to birth. It is a very helpful approach when there is a disease process or when dealing with the results of traumatic injury. But birth is neither of these. It is neither a disease nor something broken. Nor are we in control. Can you make labor? Can you bring forth a baby? Do you know the day of birth or how it will unfold?
Job 39:1-3 “Do you know when the mountain goats give birth? Do you watch when the doe bears her fawn? Do you count the months till they bear? Do you know the time they give birth? They crouch down and bring forth their young; their labor pains are ended.
Is 66:9 Do I bring to the moment of birth and not give delivery?” says the LORD. “Do I close up the womb when I bring to delivery?” says your God.
These things are out of our hands and in the hands of God who alone is in control and knows all things.
Ps 131: My heart is not proud, O LORD, my eyes are not haughty; I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me. 2 But I have stilled and quieted my soul; like a weaned child with its mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me. 3 O Israel, put your hope in the LORD both now and forevermore.
Yield yourself to His control, to His plan. Yield yourself, mind and body, to Him. Lean not on your own understanding. Pro 3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
You are not your own. Be a Genesis 4 birther, reject the Gen 3 mindset. How can a city fall because an army marches around it seven times? (This happened to Jericho as they obeyed God.) How can people receive drink from a rock? (This happened in the desert as Moses obediently struck the rock.) How can a 90 year old woman become pregnant? (This happened to Sarah as God promised.) How can water be turned into wine? (Jesus accomplished this miracle at the wedding in Cana.) By looking to God, to His power. Not yourself. Mary-as a 13 year old girl, said, “be it done unto me according to your will,” flying in the face of her ancient ancestor Eve who would sacrifice her progeny for the sake of her self, Mary would sacrifice herself for the service of her Lord and the sake of her progeny:
Luke 1:38, “I am the Lord’s servant, Mary answered. “May it happen to me according to your word.”
Mary-who would say to the servants, do what ever Jesus tells you. He is the One with the power and authority. Are you yielded to His plan or are you anxious? Do you listen to your doubts and fears or the word of God? Do you want to be a humble dependent creature trusting in His knowledge and power or do you want to be in control? This is the foundational question. Here is where your childbirth method begins.
You have to see that your dealings are with God. Let your childbirth preparation be repentance, obedience, holiness. Seek God. Success is God with us. Do you want God with you? He is not your servant. You come on His terms. Repent. What do you lean on? God with you means walking in holiness and repenting of sin. Go through labor with God. The birth accomplishes the delivery of the baby but also it is our entrance into parenthood. We need to parent in God, so let us birth in God.
Get rid of sin and be vessels of God. That is what you ought to pass on to your children.
Birth is just the beginning. How will you birth? By God’s power. How will you parent? By God’s power, not leaning on your self will, your own understanding.
To have the Lord with us requires holiness. Then all power is with you, for God Himself is with you! Have His word in your heart and mind and read to you, for His word is powerful! He is mighty to save. Be a steward unto God, entrusting yourself and your birth unto the Lord, and you will find His strength and guidance. Birth in the Lord and continue in the Lord, parenting in the Lord.
Genesis 3 or Genesis 4? Which parent are we? The fallen nature is still in us. But also the Lord. How will we live? There will be little children in our train. Forsake sin and your old ways. Our kids aren’t ours’. We are stewards.
Malachi 2:15 Has not the LORD made them one? In flesh and spirit they are his. And why one? Because he was seeking godly offspring. The Lord brought you two together because He desires godly offspring.
Marie-Celine Farver RN BSN IBCLC RLC (c) 2018