Just over a week ago, on May 29th, my beautiful wife and I celebrated 7 years of marriage. That's right, just over 7 years ago, when I was 22 and Lori was 21, we tied the knot and have not looked back since. When Lori and I were married, we did not have much (actually, we still don't. But that's beside the point). Just a little over a week after our wedding day, we packed up everything we had and moved over 500 miles away from the town where we grew up to attend Southern Seminary in Louisville, KY. We did not have our "careers" established or a 10-year plan. Yet, those first few years of marriage were magical - and formative. It was there, early on, that we learned that we were now "one flesh" (and not just because we could enjoy sex within the covenant of marriage). We learned what it meant to "leave father and mother" (Genesis 2:24) and how to lean on Jesus and each other in times of difficulty. I learned (and am continuing to learn) what it means to be a man, to lead and love my wife in a way that reflects Jesus' love for the church. I quickly learned that I had to quit being a selfish adolescent, and become, by God's grace, a loving and caring husband.

Now that I am the Lead Pastor of a new church in a college town, I have the opportunity to hear many different takes on marriage and children. To be honest, I am often troubled by what I hear. Many of us have adopted popular cultural thinking in regards to marriage and children, but have given little thought to what the Bible has to say about these topics. I don't mean to state that every person should get married in their early 20's. But I do mean to state that Christians should not just assume that you shouldn't get married in your early 20's. In fact, for Lori and I, marrying young was one of the greatest decisions of our lives. It has allowed us to "grow up" together, learning to love and live not as self-centered individuals who are hell-bent on maintaining our own individual identity, but lovers and partners who are committed to living as one-flesh in the covenant of marriage.

Indeed, for Lori and I, marrying young was a God-honoring decision and has been a blessing to us both. And, just maybe, marrying younger is something that more Christians should consider.

I love my wife and I am thankful that God led us to marry young. And I can say with confidence, 7 years later, that it was one of the greatest decisions we have ever made.

Below I have listed a few links to some great articles on this topic for those who are interested. In the very least, I want to encourage every follower of Jesus to allow biblical principles and teachings, above all else, to shape our ideas about marriage and children.

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2009/august/16.22.html?start=1 - This is an excellent article that was the cover story of Christianity Today in August 2009. The author, Mark Regnerus, asks many important questions about current assumptions regarding marriage and addresses many of the common objections that some have against the idea of marrying young.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704107204575039150739864666.html - This is an article that appeared in the Wall Street Journal by David Lapp. He reflects on marrying young and some of the criticisms he has received for marrying young. Good, balanced thoughts.

http://www.focusonthefamily.com/radio.aspx?ID={0B272AD9-18FF-4DDF-ADC2-FAD996A8EAFA} - This is a link to a Focus on the Family radio program featuring a message from Albert Mohler on the value of marrying young based on a study of 1 Corinthians 7. Very good, biblical stuff!