As college tuition, books, classes, and potential careers are on my mind, I scroll through social media to clear my head from these sometimes daunting responsibilities. Nine times out of ten as I scroll through Instagram or Facebook I spot a post about someone who is getting married or already did. Instantly I feel a sense of happiness and joy for whoever found his/her life partner. Unfortunately as I linger on the picture of the happily married or soon to be, I sense mixed emotions rise up in me. A sense of worry surfaces in my brain about my own wedding. As a single girl who only had one relationship in her life, I am happy for newly weds but worry that I may miss out on my forever love. I have often lain awake at night fearing that I may end up alone, so I pray to God to answer my questions and fears. The sweetest part of these vulnerable moments is when God answers back.

One day when I was studying my daily reading in the bible, God laid on my heart elements of a godly marriage that He wants for me and for all His children. I believe that God created marriage to contain at least the following four characteristics:

1. Be fruitful

The first, most obvious and uncomfortable part of a godly marriage is to be fruitful. Many nonbelievers think that God hates sex. They believe that since God hates sex, Christians mustn't have sex. While I can't speak for all Christians, I can speak for myself. I believe that God doesn't hate marital sex. In fact, God tells His children numerous times in the bible to go and be fruitful, to multiply and cover the earth. God created sex so that we could bear children and to physically and emotionally bind a husband and wife as one.

However, notice I said marital sex. Nonbelievers are correct that most Christians don't advocate for sex out of wedlock. God speaks through Paul in his letter to the Galatians when he writes, "Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these: Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness," (Galatians 5:19 KJV). Here Paul states that sex before marriage is an act of the flesh and should be avoided because in 1 Corinthians 6:19 Paul also writes that our bodies are holy temples for God. When we desecrate it through acts of the flesh, we grow farther away from God.

When sex is between a married couple, I believe God rejoices. Marital sex worships God and signifies to Him that we will obey Him. When we have children through marital sex, God rejoices as well. Children are near and dear to His heart even so much that when Jesus walked the earth He ordered His disciples to let the children come to Him in Luke 18:15-17. God wants us to enjoy sex with our spouse. He also wants us to become one with him/her and to bear fruit. That way we can raise up new disciples in Jesus' name.

2. Companionship

Another characteristic of a godly marriage is companionship. A prime example is the very first couple to walk the earth: Adam and Eve (Genesis 2:18-24). In the beginning, God created Adam. Time passed, and God sensed that Adam was lonely. In an attempt to help him, God told Adam to go through the animals of the earth in search of a partner to keep him company. Adam went through many diverse creatures, but didn't discover an animal that could keep him company. Eventually, God put Adam in a deep sleep and created Eve with a rib from him. In Genesis 2:23-24 (KJV), Adam awakes, sees Eve, and says, "This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh."

Through Adam, God established marriage to be about companionship. God wants us to marry someone that keeps us company when we are lonely and doesn't run away when times get rough. Yes, it says in the bible that God is enough for us, and He is. However, God knows that while we live our life here separated from Him, it can become a bit lonesome. Hence why God created marriage.

David McIntyre, recent winner of survival show Alone, couldn't have explained our desire for companionship any better. He said that it's great when you see the many beautiful things in life, but when you don't have anyone to experience it with, it becomes lonely. God doesn't want us to be lonely, so He created marriage for us to have someone physically there in our darkest moments and our best moments.

3. Walk with God together

God also wants in marriage for us to have someone to walk with Him together. Adam and Eve are a prime example yet again. Before the fall of Man, Adam physically walked with God in the Garden of Eden. However, he was still longing for a partner. Can you imagine that? Actually walking with God yet still wanting for someone else to enjoy the company of? That is why Eve is created. To walk with Adam and God in the Garden of Eden. This same reason applies to marriage today. God wants us to marry someone who will walk with us and with God, so if we stumble over a rock or a weed or even our own feet, that person is there to help catch us and continue our walk.

Another example of walking together with God is Joseph and Mary, the earth parents of Jesus. God blessed Mary and had her conceive a child through the Holy Spirit. If Mary didn't need Joseph to conceive, then why didn't God just give Mary the blessing of Jesus before she met Joseph? I believe that part of the reason is that God knew that Mary would need someone to help her, to care for her, and to protect her. God knew the abomination that a child before marriage was in those days--even if it was conceived of the Holy Spirit--,and God knew that Mary would need Joseph to help through this wonderful yet difficult time. That is why God blessed Mary when she was engaged to Joseph. When the people were ordered to return to the town of their births, Joseph walked along Mary who was pregnant, all the way to Bethlehem. This is what God wants in marriage for us. He wants us to marry someone that no matter what happens will walk alongside us and care for us even if the road is harsh.

4. Edify God

Last but not least, God wants us to edify Him through our marriage. I've said before that marriage is companionship and a walk with someone we love, but the most important aspect of marriage is to worship and glorify Him. That is why in 2 Corinthians 6:14 (ESV) Paul writes, "Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership can righteousness have with wickedness? Or what fellowship does light have with darkness?" This is another difficult area for some Christians, but if I marry someone who is a nonbeliever how am I supposed to worship God with my marriage or even raise my kids to become disciples of Jesus? I can't worship God with a marriage to someone who denies God. Depending on the nonbeliever, I may not even be able to tell my kinds about the God who created them and loves them beyond anything they can imagine. How can that type of marriage edify God?

In Matthew 28:19-20 (ESV), Jesus commissioned us, "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." This is the great task that Jesus commissioned us with as His followers. If we are married to a nonbeliever, then it makes our task that much harder. Not only will our spouse not worship God with us but won't help with our commission either. That is why God wants us to marry someone who will help us edify Him. We were created to worship God and were tasked to make disciples of every nation and age, even our own kids. When we marry someone who can help us complete our task, we can truly worship God with our marriage because it is holy. it is righteous, and it is what God wanted for us.

To conclude, it is easy to fall into the worldly view of marriage. We may become so overwhelmed with our innate desire that we forget why marriage was even established on this Earth for: to be fruitful, to have companionship, to walk with God together, and to ultimately edify God. For those of us who are still searching for Mr. or Mrs. Right, I hope this article helps you find him/her and encourages you that it is okay to be single while everyone around you is getting married. Like me, God may be trying to instill some wisdom into you to help you pick your future spouse. After all, marriage is supposed to be forever, so we should take our time to figure out who will join us in our walk with God to a happily every after.