Well, I did it! I purchased my wife!!

[frederick]

My concern with encouraging young men to wait to marry until their late twenties or older is that their hormones are at DEFCON 1 long before then. The biblical instruction is to marry rather than burn with passion (1 Cor. 7:7). To avoid fornication a man is to have his own wife, and a woman is to have her own husband (1 Cor. 7:2), and age isn't even mentioned in the biblical instructions. While it would be great to live in the ideal world of chocolates and roses, we don't, so young men face raging testosterone levels hindering their ability to maintain sanctified minds. The outlet is within the bounds of marriage.

From my understanding of Scripture we ought not put any unnecessary obstacles in the way of godly living for young people. Cheers

 

[YoreyC]

but paul is presupposing that only those ready for marriage should get married

 

[frederick]

Yes, those who want to avoid fornication or burning passions should get married.

 

[Off-Grid Artist]

face raging testosterone levels hindering their ability to maintain sanctified minds

Is this the battle of flesh and spirit? I so often feel like I've passed this point, then I have to wonder. When I take interest in a woman it isn't the same as when I was a teen or in my 20s. But age can't automatically qualify me for automatically having a sanctified mind.

 

[YoreyC]

no, not "Yes."

 

[frederick]

Is this the battle of flesh and spirit?

Paul deals with this battle in Romans 7:15-25, among other places.

It is obvious from the various events recorded in the Old Testament Scriptures involving, e.g. Samson and Delilah, David and Bathsheba, etc., and passages such as 1 Corinthians Chapter 7, 1 Thess. 4:3-6, etc., in the New Testament that people have problems maintaining moral sanctity. Marriage is the environment God has ordained for the satisfaction of those passions.

When I take interest in a woman it isn't the same as when I was a teen or in my 20s.

Maybe, and David's interest wasn't the same as when he was a teen or in his 20s.

But age can't automatically qualify me for automatically having a sanctified mind.

The temptations can still get thrown at you into your 40s, 50s, 60s, and more, so your mind needs constant sanctification. One only has to read the news to see how many Christian men and women are failing in the area of moral sanctification.

It's a serious battle and we need to keep the guard up.

 

[Heavens Declare]

I know men need sanctification, but they also shouldn't feel rushed to marry in their 20s, when there are good women, who will be available when they get older. In other words, they shouldn't feel rushed because they think that the only women available to them will be the bottom of the barrell. My youngest sister married a man 10 years older than she was, and they have 10 children now, so she got married rather young. If he had rushed out and married someone else sooner, he would have missed out on her (he is anti-polygyny and told me that if someone came to his church with multiple wives, he would be asked to leave).

 

[MemeFan]

What you didn't count is that, with time, there is less good unmarried women.

Unless you are fans of age-gap relationships or fixing broken women.

 

[Heavens Declare]

That is the mindset of most people. Polygyny bad. Age Gap bad. That was certainly my mindset when I was in my 20s. It made me feel safe from the notion that someone older might try to swoop in and snatch the available females in my age bracket. Then I went overseas, swooped in and wooed and married a foreigner 6 years my junior!

 

[frederick]

I know men need sanctification, but they also shouldn't feel rushed to marry in their 20s, when there are good women, who will be available when they get older. In other words, they shouldn't feel rushed because they think that the only women available to them will be the bottom of the barrell.

While I agree there shouldn't be the FOMO so men to marry in their 20s, there also shouldn't be such a focus on having worldly stuff that men are left frustrated, and are tempted to become sexually active.

 

[Man_in_the_Middle]

What you didn't count is that, with time, there is less good unmarried women.

Unless you are fans of age-gap relationships or fixing broken women.

Age gap is the solution!

 

[frederick]

Age gap is the solution!

Age gap is great.

 

[MemeFan]

Age gap is the solution!

With my growing years I do like age gap more and more.

But be realistic, guys. Younger man can run on potential,while older must make something of himself. I have seen few years older men who I know have zero chance with anything younger than 40+.

If man has 45 and crooked teeth, well, girls aged 20 do have more than decent "offerings on menu".

 

[steve]

It all depends on what is important to the young lady.
The average young woman will not be attracted to an older man, but there is always a Bell Curve, and it only takes one.

 

[Joleneakamama]

Younger man can run on potential,while older must make something of himself

A man who wants a second, and perhaps younger wife needs to have made good on his first marriage. All he really needs is a good record and a happy wife.
"I have a good strong MORAL, and hard working man who has been faithful and has NEVER lied to me."
A statement like that says a lot!
A potential second can see your children too if you have them. They are the fruit of your union.
Ultimately, be the man you should be and trust YHWH can build your house.

 

[Heavens Declare]

while older must make something of himself.

That's the whole idea! Of course when you marry young, you are making something of yourself, but you have a greater financial burden on yours shoulders. If a man has no wife and still cannot make something of himself, maybe he should go back to school, or perhaps do what Kaleigh MacEnneny's husband did, and start flipping houses!

If man has 45 and crooked teeth, well, girls aged 20 do have more than decent "offerings on menu".

I had crooked teeth. My father went to prison for 25 years, and I had 5 siblings, so my parents could never afford to get me braces, but when I graduated and had more money than I knew what to do with, I got myself braces!

 

[Maddog]

Well folks i do disagree with some of the flesh versus spirit argument thing. The young men having a woman IS the satisfying of the flesh and that is not ungodly aspect. Get enough of the satisfying of the flesh and my needs are met. A few of women satisfies my flesh and is easiee to focus on being godly. It is not either/or. You CAN have your Cookie and Edith too and please Yah. Sex is blessed within the guardrails. Men's flesh is easy to please and that is good. Is one not enough? Then get #2 or # 3 or #4. Whatever calms the flesh. Pretty soon you will run out of enery to be tempted by a prostitute.

 

[The Revolting Man]

That actually does make sense to me. I've been developing the idea that men should be raised to stay at home with their parents much longer than normal, working long hours and building skills and a large savings. Then marry them in their late 20s to a girl in her late teens. It feels like the formula for a brilliant culture. This would establish the character building attributes of the young man and also the large income to the father would help repay him for all the years spent raising a strong family and sacrificing, in time for his older age.

Marry them off young, marry them off often and enjoy the grandchildren.

Like arrows in the quiver are the children OF YOUR YOUTH.