If you could give up five of something and get fifty in return would you do it?
If you could give up 10 of something and get 50 in return would you do it?
That is all God is asking in most cases.
What do I mean? I am talking about marriage. Something that almost every teenager will be involved in someday (Hebrews 13:4a).
Now what do I mean by giving God five or ten? From the time the average teen becomes interested in the opposite sex till the time they are married is usually five to ten years.
Example: A young man may start to be interested or intrigued by young ladies around the age of fifteen. He will probably be married sometime between 20-25 years old. I was married when I was 22.
Example: A young lady may become interested in young men by the time they are fourteen years old. She will probably be married before her 24th birthday. My wife married me when she was 21.
Now, what do I mean by fifty? The average man in America lives to be about 73 years of age. The average woman lives to be about 78 years of age. If God lets you live an average life (Psalms 90:10) and you let Him lead you to marry the right person you could have 50 years of a wonderful marriage to enjoy.
For five to ten years God requires us to go through a test. A proving grounds. A time when we are to show ourselves real men and women by exhibiting self control towards and respect for the opposite sex. He goes so far as to say we should not even touch each other during that time. (Study I Corinthians 7:1-4; See Ruth 2:9.) He will also equip us in the inner man to live out this temperance by the power of His Holy Spirit which lives us. Please ask Him to help you today! (Ephesians 3:16,20.)
You will never regret letting God help you keep yourself pure for five to ten years so you can enjoy fifty years of living together in Holy Matrimony with your mate.
On the contrary we have all seen boys and girls who did not exercise self control and have probably ruined their future fifty years. It is so sad to see that 97% of all single mothers will live in poverty the rest of their lives. Very few good men want to marry a single mother. They gave up their fifty years for the five. How sad that many of them will never have a good marriage and many will never get married. Some will have to live in loneliness and carry the consequences of their actions for a long, long time.
I know of young men in their late teen years and early twenties who have some of their wages garnished every time they get a paycheck to pay child support. This will be a financial burden they must carry (and rightfully so) for 18-21 years depending on what state they live in. Even if that young man marries another woman he will have to pay the child support which will put a burden on his marriage. Often there are legal battles over visitation rights and custody. It gets very complex and ugly.
Let me take a moment and mention disease. There are over 50 major diseases that can be transmitted by physical intimacy before marriage (fornication.) Some are incurable, a few are fatal. Some of these viruses are so small that a million of them can fit on the head of a pin. Fornication often affects the body (I Corinthians 6:18, Galatians 6:8.)
Young people, it’s not worth giving up 50 years of a good marriage for 5 or 10 years of a good time. Make this season in your life the “years of temperance.”
The “time of love” (Ezekiel 16:8) is marriage, not before. See chart on left. “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: ... ; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; A time to love, ...” Ecclesiastes 3:1,5,8.
Spend your youth concentrating on friendships not relationships. Pay attention to spirituality, service, education, music, preparation for marriage, work ethics, etc. Stay in church, in the Bible, in prayer, in love with God.
Give five or ten years of your youth to self control and you will prove yourself worthy for God to bring a good mate into your life. After you are married if you will work at it you can have fifty years of a great marriage.
The “time of love” (Ezekiel 16:8) is marriage, not before. See chart on left. “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: ... ; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; A time to love, ...” Ecclesiastes 3:1,5,8.