Life operates on laws and principles. One such law is known as the law of cause and effect. If there is an effect, then there must have been a cause because nothing just happens in life. Similarly, the issue of delayed marriage that so many singles are battling with nowadays has its root causes. Strangely, do you know quite a few who ought to have been married and started fulfilling their destiny in a better way as of today are still single for some unacceptable and frustrating reasons? And of course, some of these reasons are contrary to God’s plan and will for their marriage.

It will interest you to know that most of the marital delays encountered by some Christian singles are self-caused, particularly in relation to the female folks. I remember my discussions with one of my former bank account officers about four years ago. As we talked, she expressed her worries about the challenge of marital delays she had been battling with. I think she was in her mid-thirties at that time, and no guy was even asking her out. She was a banker, as mentioned earlier, she had her own apartment, a befitting car to move around; in fact, I could say she was a comfortable young female banker. However, while we talked, it was clear to me as a relationship coach that she was partially at fault for her delayed marriage dreams. She had an attitude problem.

For instance, she told me that she had to stop attending married friends’ children’s parties because someone might be tempted to ask her about her children, whereas she was yet to be married. You see, such a lady with this kind of mindset will either experience more delays in marriage or fall victim to a wrong marriage. Why? She wants to get married for the wrong reasons.

In her case, you would see that she wants to be married for status and association. That is why some ladies, in particular, have never had any serious relationships that could lead to a promising marriage to date. Often, the incidence of marital delay among singles and some individuals of advanced age is a result of certain deterring actions, reactions, attitudes, and postures they take while pursuing their marital dreams.

For others, it could be a mere spiritual family stronghold or the fear of marrying the wrong person. But whatever the origin may be, these issues, or rather obstacles, must be confronted and overcome before they frustrate a better part of God’s marital plan for individuals. Marriage is God’s brainchild, and it feels so good to be married as young people in God’s beautiful time. Therefore, delay should not be tolerated anyhow. But if God requires you to wait, then you should be able to draw the line as a child of God and not be perturbed. Hence, the need to walk in the Spirit continually and also to get used to the voice of the Spirit.

Spiritually speaking, there is no specific age for getting married. As spiritual people, we are to get married in God’s beautiful timing for it in our lives (Eccl. 3:11), and this makes us beautiful enough to fulfill (align with) His plan for our marriages and lives, invariably.

Now let me say this with all sense of responsibility and seriousness: “Delayed marriage can strangle or distort a person’s glorious destiny if not arrested on time.” If you are reading this article now and you are a single person, please, I urge you not to take my last submission lightly or with an ounce of levity. Moreover, if you sense that you are marriageable, it’s high time you took your marital destiny into your own hands and resist any cause or curse of marital delay working against your marital settlement.

 

“Anyone that compromises or betrays his or her faith in God as a reactive response to the challenge of delayed marriage, will naturally move from delay to denial,…”

Another adverse effect of overly delayed marriage is that it can cause one to begin doing things that God hates. As I write this now, there are many people who have gone off track from God’s original plan for their lives due to the stronghold of marital delay. However, this is not in their best interest. Anyone who compromises or betrays his or her faith in God as a reactive response to the challenge of delayed marriage will naturally move from delay to denial, even of the other good plans God has for him or her.

For instance, because of delayed marital desires, there are unmarried Christians who have resorted to an immoral lifestyle just to quench their wanton passion for sex. This is not right by any standard. While others have reduced their commitment to godly living and service in the vineyard on the same grounds. Singles who are reactive in this manner always have themselves to blame in the end because God remains God regardless of whatever posture you take for or against Him and His will.

Among other things, the absence of focus, fear of making the wrong choice of partner, anxiety, not being guided by divine direction, and marrying for a change in status are among the factors that fuel delayed marriage for the majority of singles in the church. Once these negative attitudes are not addressed by the grace of God and relevant knowledge, delayed marriage will continue to be an obstacle to living a fulfilled life as a Christian single.

My prayer for all those who seem to be under the stronghold of marital delay is that the Almighty God will arise and fight for you. May He deliver you completely from the expectations of your enemies and grant you your spouse in due season without any further delay.

Thank you.

©️ Seyi Igunsabi for M.A.G.I.

READ ALSO, “Whom You Marry Often Than Not Determines Where You Will Spend Eternity”.- Evang. Gloria Bamiloye.

SEE THIS TOO, Once You Make Your Choice, Your Choice Starts Making You.