Should I wait until I am financially stable to get married?

Should you wait until you are financially stable to get married?

 I had a recent college graduate ask me this question, and I feel it’s worth taking a look at.  God’s earliest instruction for marriage is found in Genesis: “For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh.” (2:24)  God does intend for a separation from parents to begin at the wedding altar.  A man must be ready to leave his parents before he is ready to be joined to a wife.  In addition, Paul strongly condemns those unable to take care of their own household: “But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” (1 Tim. 5:8)  With these scriptures in mind, I think it wise for a young believer to consider his ability to “provide for his own” before entering into the marriage commitment.  If a young man is not able to meet the physical needs of his wife, there is a high likelihood that he is not mature enough to meet her spiritual, mental, and emotional needs either.  So, all ye unmarried: it is a sign of wisdom and maturity to reflect over your ability to manage, care for, and provide for “your household” before saying “I do.”            Now with all that being said, I think the average American’s perception of this dilemma is far from what is described in the paragraph above.  I often find that young people considering marriage say things like, “As soon as we both have stable careers, a house, a yard, two reliable cars, make some progress on our student loans, a picket fence, and a golden retriever, then we will be ready to get married.”  Young couples often put an overemphasis on their financial preparedness for marriage, and neglect weightier concerns such as spiritual readiness.  They assume financial stability will give birth to a stable marriage.  In a manner of speaking, they make marriage a financial decision.  In addition, thinking this way leads young couples into attempting to create a “perfect” life to walk into upon returning from their honeymoon.  For those of us married, we know married life is anything but perfect.  Those ready and willing to press on “for better or worse” are more prepared for the realities of marriage and thus able to reap the joys and rewards that come from the hard work a strong marriage requires.  Often times, struggling through financial difficulty and “thin” budgets teach newlyweds countless life lessons and strengthens their relationship and communication.            In conclusion, be wise about your financial readiness without being unrealistic or materialistic.