What Does "Be Fruitful and Multiply" Really Mean for the Childless?

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What does motherhood really mean when you don't have children of your own? I'm diving into this question from my personal perspective as a married woman without kids who's still figuring out if biological parenthood is part of my journey.

The biblical instruction to "be fruitful and multiply" often gets brought up in conversations about having children. But looking deeper, I've found powerful meaning by breaking it down: "be" (to exist), "fruitful" (exhibiting the fruits of the spirit like love, joy, peace), and "multiply" (to increase). This reframing has shown me that nurturing the next generation extends far beyond having biological children.

Through my experience mentoring with Big Brothers Big Sisters, I've discovered the profound connection that forms when you consistently show up for a child who isn't biologically yours. Despite knowing my "little sister" for just over a year, I find myself deeply invested in her wellbeing – attending her events, responding when her mother needs help, and including her in my daily prayers. This relationship has taught me that motherhood isn't confined to biological connections – it's about the heart's capacity to nurture and champion a young person's growth.

For those longing for children but still waiting, I encourage you to start mothering now. Volunteer, mentor, or invest in the children already in your life. Every child I've connected with has drawn something out of me I didn't know I needed or possessed. They've helped me heal and grow in unexpected ways. We all have something inside us that this world needs – don't let fear stop you from sharing it. Whether you're a biological mother, aunt, godmother, teacher, or mentor, your contribution to raising the next generation matters profoundly. You're seen, you're heard, and you're an essential part of the village.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hello everyone, welcome to Standing In your
Truth podcast with your host,yanni.
On this podcast you'll hearYanni, family and friends having
open-ended discussions onanything from faith, finances,
relationships and how to staymotivated during life's trying
times.
Make sure to follow on allsocial media platforms.

(00:23):
The social media link is in thebio.
Sit back and get ready to enjoy.

Speaker 2 (00:30):
Hello everyone, welcome to another episode of
Standing in your Truth podcast.
I am your host, yanni.
No, I did not forget the nameof my podcast, just got slightly
distracted there for a second.
How are you guys doing?
Summer is here, it's graduationseason.
I really should be asking thesecond how are you guys doing?
Summer is here, it's graduationseason.
I really should be asking theparents.
How are you guys doing?

(00:50):
I've been seeing a lot ofpreschool and high school
graduations and I'm like gosh,that must be hard.
Your baby is leaving the housefor some people anyway and now
you're just praying.
But I think it's a beautifulthing because you're able to
kind of see, begin to see theimpact they're going to have on

(01:12):
the world and how they're goingto change it and make a
difference.
So that's a beautiful thing.
I'm excited to see, at leastthe college graduates that I
know personally, how life isgoing to turn out for them, what
they're going to do, and allthat excitement.
So so, as you know, for themonth of May we are doing um,

(01:34):
talking about motherhood.
So I thought I would kind ofjump on here from a young woman
that currently does not havekids, um, and I'm kind of unsure
if I do or don't want them.
It's one of those things whereI feel like we have
conversations, aaron and I,about it I won't say often, but
from time to time and it's kindof, we're both at the place
where, if God gives us kidsgreat, whether it be, you know,

(01:58):
biological or adopting we'refine with that.
But if he does not allow us tohave kids or we don't have kids,
we're fine with that.
But if he does not allow us tohave kids or we don't have kids,
we're fine with that as well.
We're okay with being the um,rich auntie and uncle and
pouring into our nephews and ournieces and all the children
around us.

(02:18):
So it kind of got me thinking,because I know, for me anyway,
the scripture that's oftenbrought up when it comes to
having kids is that be fruitfuland multiply.
And I was like, well, what doesthat look like for me?
Um, since, like I said, wedon't currently have kids.
So I kind of just looked at it,um, and we're gonna just do a
little slight talking about youknow my thoughts on it um, so I

(02:40):
kind of took it word by word.
So be is obviously means liketo exist, to take place, um
fruitful.
I took it word by word.
So B is obviously means like toexist, to take place.
Fruitful I took it, I took adive into or looked into the
fruits of the spirit.
So like love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, multiply always,you know, obviously means to
increase.
So I was like, well, what doesthat look like for me?

(03:01):
And I was like, well, that justmeans to be able to um pour
into the youth.
Obviously, each kid may needsomething different.
So some kids may need more love, some kids may um need you to.
I guess you can say endure thelong suffering with them to ride
the ride out Um, some kids needto be showed kindness, some

(03:23):
kids need to be um shown like,what joy looks like and what
peace is.
So I think it kind of looksdifferent.
But I just feel sometimes as awoman, especially with no kids
and married, oftentimes we feellike we're.
I guess, when it comes tomotherhood, we don't really have

(03:45):
a part in it and though ourpart may be small and we may
just be a part of a village, butif you listen to the previous
episodes, all those women'smentioned how important a
village is.
So it's no, you may not haveyour kids right now, but don't
give up on the idea ofmotherhood, and that just may
look different for you.
You may be a great God mom tosomeone.

(04:07):
You may um, you know be awonderful stepmother to someone,
or you may just be a real goodauntie, but I still think a lot
of us though we do notnecessarily carry the kid or our
name is not on someone's birthcertificate our motherhood looks

(04:29):
a little different, but it'sstill important at the end of
the day.
So I just I don't know.
I think sometimes we just forgetthe women that are part of the
village.
That may not also be, may notbe a mom, but we're important.
I'm standing up for us.
We are important.
I've always felt important.

(04:51):
But you know, that's just here,nor there.
I think the people that I kindof help just remind me that you
know how important it is to havea party that is not blood
related, but it feels likeyou're blood related and I care
for all the youth that I'm witharound like they're my own.

(05:13):
I even it's kind of crazy tothink about but so I'm a part of
Big Brothers, big Sisters, andI have a little.
I call her my little sister amentee a little.
I call her my little sister amentee and I think I've known
her now at least maybe a year,year and a half.

(05:33):
But if her mom calls and saysshe needs something and if I can
do it, I do it.
If she has an event and I'mavailable, I'm there.
And to say I've only known herfor a little over a year, I can
honestly say that I love thatlittle girl Like I'm in her
corner rooting for her.
Um, aaron and I, when we try ourbest to pray in the morning and

(05:56):
evenings together and in theevenings is usually the longer
prayer and we kind of go downour list of all the kids that
were involved with and involvedwith and pray for them, and
she's definitely in that groupof kids we're praying for.
So it's just, I think sometimeswe just have to open our eyes
to what motherhood looks likeand don't allow society to put

(06:19):
it in a box.
If you're already open-mindedabout it, great Knocks.
If you're already open-mindedabout it, great.
But if you're a young womanthat is wanting kids and kids
just hasn't quite come yet foryou, I just encourage you to go
find a youth to pour into.
Go find a youth that you areable to treat that little one

(06:40):
just like they're your own andpour into them, is my advice for
that, yes, obviously, keeppraying and keep doing what you
need to do to try to you know,get pregnant or adopt, whatever
your situation is, but go pourinto a kid.
Faith without works is dead.
So go find your little one andlove on them and treat them just
like they're your kid and Ipromise you.

(07:03):
Obviously it may not feel theexact same as if it's your kid,
but you will get something outof it.
Every kid that we pour into, Ifeel like, honestly, fruits of
the spirit.
They bring something differentout of me that I didn't know,
that I needed or I had in me,either one or something that I
need to heal from depending upon.

(07:24):
It's always funny to me how Godcan use different people um to
speak to you as well.
So there's that.
So I just encourage you guys toum be fruitful and multiply,
however that looks in your life.
And lastly, short episode, causewe're gonna make you on the
road and go celebrate one of ournephews who graduated recently,

(07:47):
but you guys are loved.
Everyone who's listening tothis is loved by not only Jesus,
but myself as well.
You're seen, you're heard,you're needed.
There is something that isinside of you that this world
needs.
So don't allow fear to stop.
Whatever goal, mission, plan,whatever it is, don't allow this

(08:10):
world of the devil to stop itfrom coming out.
So go, do.
Wait, what's Nike's thing?
Oh, just do it.
Obviously, I don't wear a namebrand that often, but just do it
and just see how amazing it is.
I recently just started doingmarketing as a business and I

(08:31):
recently got my first client asa friend paid for me to do some
stuff for her, and I'm like thatfeeling of knowing that someone
believes in you and believes inyour work, believes in you and
believes in your work, man, it'sa feeling that definitely lit
an extra fire inside of me topush a little harder.

(08:52):
So that's all, guys.
I love you and have a great dayand let summer begin, even
though I'm not ready for thisheat.

Speaker 1 (08:59):
Lord Jesus, all right , thank you for listening to
another episode of Standing inyour Truth with Yanni.
And if no one told you today,you are loved, you are beautiful
, you are needed and you matter.
Be sure to follow on Facebookat Standing in your Truth
Podcast with Yanni.
Also on Instagram Talks withYanni.