If you had told me five years ago I would be getting married at 19, I would have laughed. People these days just don't get married that young. Most wait until they have graduated from college and established themselves in a job. Or, at least they have saved enough money to feel confident. Turns out, that's not what God had planned for me.
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My fiance and I are getting married in August 2017. Since our relationship began over 2 1/2 years ago, we have dated with the decision that our relationship should only continue if we felt the other was "the one." This was not a decision made overnight. For a year now, we have planned, prepared and budgeted. It is going to be rough, but it will be doable.
A week ago, a missions speaker came to my school for a missions conference. He and his wife held a seminar, and he also spoke with my small group. His opinion on marriage is that people should not get married before 25. I was shocked. Here was a Christian man, speaking at a Christian Evangelical college, telling people they should not get married unless they were over 25. What about feeling led by God? What about...love?
I do understand his point to an extent. Sometimes people jump into relationships on Christian campuses, or other places because they feel inadequate without a significant other. In all fairness, the Christian circle does push young people into relationships as part of the culture. I do not pretend to understand these situations, but I know many people face enormous pressure--from their family and friends-- to be in a relationship.
However, this is not applicable to everyone. Young people are more than capable of making important decisions. At 17 or 18, teens have already decided if they are going to college, into the workforce or obtaining some other form of education. At 18, teens are seen legally as adults. They can be drafted into the military for goodness sake. I feel that at 18, I am adult enough to say yes to marriage.
1 Timothy 4:12 says: "Let no one despise your youth; instead, you should be an example to the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity." What better example can a young Christian couple display than to give themselves to another person in love and marriage?
Getting married young is not for everybody. It is not something that should be taken lightly. However, it is okay to get married young. Please, do not let other people squash your convictions and dreams because they disapprove or are scared for you. If you and your significant other feel led to get married, do it. Am I stressed out with planning a wedding and being in college? Heck yeah. But is it worth it? Definitely. It's okay to get married young.
