Good Marriages Need a Whole Church

Ask many Christian singles in Beijing today to describe how they feel about being single, and the responses you hear may surprise you. Many feel frustrated, confused, or even hopeless. They want to find a good Christian spouse, keep themselves pure, and honor God in the pursuit of marriage, yet things don't seem to be moving that direction, and it doesn't seem like it will change anytime soon. In short, they are suffering for Christ. That's not to say that they are being persecuted by the authorities, or afflicted with a disease (though it may seem like it to some), yet in choosing to pursue Biblical marriage, they are left with fewer choices of potential spouses, delaying sex (hopefully), and starting families much later.

I say "suffering" to acknowledge that choosing to following Jesus in pursuit of Biblical marriage comes with a cost. It is an act of the will to follow God in this way, and He is pleased with His children when they obey. Suffering can be used by God for our sanctification and good, or it may be used by the enemy as a tool to deceive us into believing that God is not good enough in Himself for us or doesn't "really" love us. It is not our power to decide what happens in life, but it is our choice to decide how we will respond.

....

To read text, please CLICK HERE to download.