Choosing who to marry need not be hard, but it should be done wisely. Marriage is a lifelong commitment that shouldn't be entered into without much consideration, much prayer, and much preparation.
Marriage Bliss
Everyone wants marriage to be blissful. You meet someone, get close, fall in love, get married, and live happily ever after. While that sounds nice, the truth is that a happy and healthy marriage can only happen when both the husband and the wife give effort to make it happen.
The work needed for a happy marriage, however, doesn't start at the wedding altar. It can – and should – begin long before marriage. It should begin while you're still single.
The Bible tells us that it was God who thought of giving Adam a partner. In Genesis 2:15-18 we read God giving Adam instructions for his work and provisions, followed by God thinking of giving Adam a partner "suitable for him." Marriage was God's idea, and so it's best to approach Him if we want to have a happy and healthy marriage.
Are you single and longing to marry the right person? Here are three steps to choosing the right person to marry and be with for the rest of your life.
1. Seek God
Many single men and women create "lists" of preferred characteristics or traits in a spouse. These "ideal" traits might be good, but the truth is that God knows us better and knows the right partner for you. And so you must learn to seek Him for a spouse.
There's a quote that goes, "A woman's heart should be so hidden in God that a man has to seek Him just to find her."
That couldn't be any truer. Any man or woman longing to find God's best for them should approach God Himself, not just any other person perceived to be ideal.
2. Trust God
Marriage was God's idea. He was the one who thought about it. Later in Genesis 2:21-22, we read that God put Adam to sleep while He worked on making a partner for him.
This simply rings true today. All single men and women must learn to trust God and entrust their future marriages to Him. Instead of looking around trying to find a "compatible" partner, I encourage all singles to develop themselves and grow in the Lord instead. He knows what is best for us, and won't withhold it from us.
3. Do What Is Right
Lastly, while seeking God and trusting Him for a future mate, all single men and women hoping to marry should do what is right.
Study well and excel in your career or ministry. Don't do things that you'd soon regret. Avoid the wrong relationships, and pursue growth in Christ-likeness.
Save up for marriage and start making plans prayerfully. Many people who married without saving up ended up borrowing much money, burying themselves in deep debt.
Moreover, get pre-marriage counselling from a Bible-believing elder, one who has a Christ-centred marriage. Young couples who received no counselling often end up having a lot of trouble in their marriage relationship. Pre-marriage counselling will greatly help.
