NAVIGATING THE YELLOW BRICK ROAD

I haven't blogged in a long while. I am speaking this weekend at a women's retreat and so I started googling "singleness and the bible" and other issues. Came across an interesting book: Getting Serious About Getting Married: Rethinking the Gift of Singleness, by Debbie Maken. Apparently it is the latest thing. The problem is that while she makes some good points her corrective is WRONG. I have no issues with some of her comments on society: issues with lingering adolescence, a culture that doesn't affirm "men", a growing meliu of unchecked selfishness and consumerism which bleeds into relationships making people and sexually often disposable and subject to our individualistic whims (all of this in my own words)... but the reality is that I, as a single woman, have little power over these larger cultural sins which ALSO EFFECT MARRIED PEOPLE. All of these large cultural issues which create a growing single population ALSO create a growing divorced population. So: "just putting more effort into getting married" - is not the answer, sorry Debbie. I know you mean well. You stopped focusing on your career and all of your consumer things (big house, lots of stuff) and that is not BAD. I am glad you are happily married. But keep this in mind: your experience does not translate into an absolutism. I have married friends who are EXACTLY where God wants them to be. I have single friends who are EXACTLY where God wants them to be. I also know lonely, dissatisfied, unfulfilled and unhappy married AND single people. Marriage is the cure for loneliness in Genesis 1-3 because Adam was literally alone, except for God. So, yes, as human beings in the image of our creator we looong to be in relationships. However, marriage is not always the corrective for unhappiness and loneliness and often creates dissatisfaction. Many people think magically their lives will be better and more fulfilled if they "do their duty" and get married and have kids. Often it is NOT that answer.
I respect married people who trust in the Lord. I respect other single people who trust in the Lord. The Great Commission is to MAKE DISCIPLES not "get married"... Let's keep the main thing... the MAIN THING...