The Idol of Marriage

I think far too many Christians and evangelistic churches have made an idol out of marriage. And in some ways even I have made an idol out of marriage.

Not so much my marriage or really the marriage of any two specific people, but the idea of marriage.

This might seem contrary to how most people would approach the subject because of the problems divorce is causing our society, but I do believe it remains true.

Paul says that is it good for people not to marry. And that singleness, for him, has been a gift from God. Paul even goes as far as saying those who marry lack self control (1 Corinthians 7).

To that many would say, God created Adam and Eve to be together. And absolutely, he did. But we can’t just throw out what Paul was saying either.

I don’t know about you, but I find what Paul has to say about singleness and marriage to be a far cry from the way many Christians and churches treat the subject.

How many churches do you know that have a single pastor? There aren’t many.

Should part of the goal in our Christian lives really be to marry? Isn’t pursuing our relationship with Christ the higher calling?

Part of the reason I have some passion in this area is because I don’t deserve to be married. I made all the wrong decisions when it came to relationships, and even now I have no idea why my amazing wife said yes to me. I can easily picture myself as the single guy working at a church where everyone says I need to get married, as if my life wasn’t complete yet.

In many ways a church full of single pastors is able to devote more time and energy to their ministry calling. Marriage takes time and effort on a daily basis.

In my life, marriage has truly been a gift from God and a blessing. But I’m concerned we’ve place too high of an importance on getting married instead of valuing singleness.

What do you think? Have Christians made an Idol out of marriage?