Attention Word Slingers readers: Beginning December 11, 2019, all posts will be available at BaptistMessenger.com. Thank you for reading Word Slingers!

My “Mema” married my “Gramps” when she was just 15 years old. Or should I say young? My Mom and Dad married when they were 18 and 19, respectively. My grandparents were married for more than 50 years, and my parents have been going strong for 27!

However, when I was 21 and engaged to my wonderful wife, I heard a lot of people tell me to slow down and wait a few more years before I got married. It seems like fewer people are getting married young. In fact, I just read that the average age for a person’s first marriage is 28. So, what’s the deal, should we get married young or not?

Well, personally I think getting married young is the best thing I’ve ever done! I want to share my top five reasons why I believe getting married young is a great decision. (Note: I believe these things to be true between believers who are financially stable and whose parents and pastor recognizes they are ready and able to marry.)

5. Self Discovery. Now I am fully aware that Adam and Eve really didn’t have a choice when it came to marriage, but nonetheless, Adam and Eve married young. God didn’t waste any time creating a wife for Adam, and he certainly did not do much living before he was married. My point is this, I have heard the statements “go out and live a little” or “you need to find out who you really are.” I personally do not think you can really know yourself without your spouse (that is if you are not called to be single). Next to Jesus, my wife Chelsea is the biggest (and best) part of who I am. I have a much better understanding of who I am and my purpose, now that I am married.

4. Temptation. Being young and “spreading your wild oats” is not the best idea. No matter your age, you are responsible for your actions, and they will catch up to you. Holding off on marriage just for the sake of experiencing life or enjoying your youth can be very dangerous. It presents a lot of temptations. Not to say that marriage is the fix all for sexual sin, but it can help. I know that I don’t ever have to worry about anything promiscuous in my college dorms. Why? Because I’m at home with my wife, safe from any “innocent” dorm room activity or anything of the such.

3. Experience, or lack of. As a 20 and 21 year old newly married couple, Chelsea and I left the church excited to get to New York City for our honeymoon. The best part of that was the fact that we were both sexually pure and completely naive. There were not expectations, pressure, or previous experiences. Not only was that true sexually, that is how our entire married life has been. We have been blessed to learn everything about life together, and we are the best team I know. Nothing will replace those years of learning and growing together.

2. God’s Purpose. Imagine you have just come to know Christ. What’s next? Baptism. As long as you have truly been saved and you understand what baptism means, why would you wait a few years to be baptized? The same is true for marriage. God created Eve for Adam and Adam for Eve. In the same way my wife and I have been created for one another. As long as you are mature enough and understand the commitment you are making, why wait?

1. Jesus. There is a reason that we are called the bride of Christ. Our relationship with Christ is a picture of the marriage between a man and a woman. As a husband, I get to serve my wife, lead her, and provide for her. That is the greatest joy that I could have. Why wouldn’t you want to enter into a covenant marriage that is a picture of our relationship with Christ? And why would you not want to enter into a God glorifying relationship as soon as you can?

Now there are a thousand reasons you could wait to get married, but my main point is this. If you know who God has created you for, and you can make a true marriage commitment to that person, marrying young is incredible, and if I had to do it over again, I would still marry young. So, those of you who do marry young or are thinking about it, don’t worry when people talk down marriage or young age. Just go enjoy life as a young married couple, and trust that God will lead your way.