“Then the Lord God said, ‘It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.’” – Genesis 2:18
I recently received a wonderful note card from a woman in our church who was in the back during one of our services. She wrote, “I witnessed something Sunday I wanted to share with you. As they were taking communion, I watched the men wrap their arms around their wives, covering their heads, kissing them, and praying over them. It was so touching to witness.” It’s amazing that you can go your whole life, and the only time a man lays hands on a woman is to harm or have sex with her but not to pray over or bless her.
As we talk about marriage, we sadly need to clarify that God’s divine design for marriage is one man and one woman in a covenant that’s consummated. No gay marriage, polygamy, cohabitation, friends with benefits, or living together. The world is drunk and confused when it comes to marriage.
If you need some proof, we now have a record number of 40-year-olds who have never been married. (1) We also have a record number of cohabitating couples, and those relationships have repeatedly proven to cause higher rates of divorce than couples who do not cohabitate before marriage. (2)
In an article summarizing the book The Case for Marriage, it is said that married men:
- Live nearly 10 years longer than their unmarried peers.
- Are about 50% less likely to die – at any age – than unmarried men.
- Are less likely than singles to suffer from long-term chronic illnesses or disabilities.
- Are about 30% more likely to rate their health as “excellent or very good” than unmarried men.
- Drink about half as much as their unmarried peers of the same age.
- Are less likely to smoke, drink and drive, drive too fast, get into fights, or take risks that increase the chance of accidents and injuries.
- Make significantly more money than bachelors.
- Experience faster wage growth than unmarried men.
- Produce more on average than single men at the same job.
- Are less likely to show up for work hungover or exhausted.
- Make more responsible financial decisions than single men.
- Report less depression, less anxiety and lower levels of other psychological distress than singles.
- Are about three times less likely to commit suicide than the unmarried.
- Are half as likely as singles and cohabitors to say they are unhappy with their lives. (3)
So, as a man, marriage is good for you! This is so contrary to the nonsense on social media calling marriage a “death sentence” for men. The key to a great marriage is doing it God’s way – praying with your wife, listening to your wife, worshiping with your wife. Remember, if you want to touch your wife’s body, you need to first touch her soul. The deepest level is at the level of the soul. When you pray and worship together, you open up the rest of the relationship and astounding benefits result for both men and women.
If married, how are you doing at praying and worshiping with your spouse? If single, pray for your future spouse.
- https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/06/28/a-record-high-share-of-40-year-olds-in-the-us-have-never-been-married/
- https://dailycitizen.focusonthefamily.com/new-research-based-confirmation-to-old-truths-on-cohabitation/?sfcid=0034W00003LyOsvQAF&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=855206&refcd=855206&utm_source=RelevantResources
- https://dailycitizen.focusonthefamily.com/dont-believe-the-modern-myth-marriage-remains-good-for-men/?sfcid=0034W00003LyOsvQAF&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=855206&refcd=855206&utm_source=RelevantResources
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