Surrogacy can mean a woman is impregnated by artificial insemination with the sperm of a man whose wife cannot become pregnant, or an already-conceived embryo, created by an egg and sperm from a couple, is carried by another woman through pregnancy. Surrogacy is a modern solution to infertility that the Bible does not directly address, but Scripture consistently presents children as sacred gifts from God and emphasizes God’s hand in the creation of life. The story of Abraham, Sarah, and Hagar negatively illustrates human attempts to fulfill God’s promises apart from His timing. It shows the emotional pain and complications that can arise when human plans override God’s design. Surrogacy today raises moral, ethical, and emotional concerns, including the exploitation of women, the commercialization of motherhood, and the potential for disrupting God’s intended family structure. Although using a surrogate mother can fulfill a deep desire for children, surrogacy also carries physical, emotional, and legal risks, often prioritizing convenience over others’ well-being. Ultimately, decisions about surrogacy require prayerful reflection, wise counsel, and trust in God’s timing, recognizing that just because something is possible does not mean it is part of God’s plan.
Surrogacy has raised significant moral, ethical, and emotional concerns. It often leads to the exploitation of women’s bodies, turning the sacred role of motherhood into a commercial transaction and treating children as commodities. In many cases, the process prioritizes the desires of those who can afford it over God’s design, the dignity of the woman involved, and the well-being of the child. What was once viewed as an act of compassion has, in some instances, become a profitable industry—one that asks women to sacrifice their bodies and lives for nine months, while remaining accessible primarily to the wealthy.
Surrogacy can make it possible for a couple to have a child, but it raises an important question: what about God’s plan? Should a couple continue to pursue having children when God has not opened the door for them biologically? In some cases, surrogacy is chosen not out of necessity, but out of convenience for those who wish to avoid the challenges and physical effects of pregnancy. In such situations, surrogacy can shift from being about building a family to serving comfort, control, or personal preference. It also brings physical and emotional risks for the surrogate mother and often lacks sufficient legal protection, leaving room for exploitation or disputes. Moreover, surrogacy tends to prioritize adult desires over the child’s well-being, especially when the baby is separated from the woman who carried him or her for nine months. While surrogacy may fulfill a deep longing for children, Scripture reminds us that just because something is possible does not mean it is right (1 Corinthians 10:23). We are called to trust God’s design and timing, even when His plan differs from our own.
The growing trend of surrogacy is also being used to create motherless or fatherless homes, with people using the service of surrogacy to have a child outside of marriage. This contradicts God’s design for the family, which He established as the union of one man and one woman raising children together (Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:4–6; Ephesians 5:31–33).
From a biblical and pro-life standpoint, surrogacy—often tied to IVF—also poses problems. It involves the creation and destruction of embryos, conflicting with the truth that life begins at conception (Psalm 139:13–16; Jeremiah 1:5).
A couple considering surrogacy or using a surrogate mother should pray for wisdom and allow God to reveal the longings in their hearts, seeking what He wants them to do about them. How should they respond to the fact that they cannot have children? Would surrogacy please God, or is it a desire to control and have something God did not make possible for them to have? Those considering surrogacy should seek wise counsel from others, ask necessary questions, and wait for God's clear direction before proceeding in faith in whatever way He calls.
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