Michael Lawrence, colleague of Mark Dever at Capitol Hill Baptist Church, pens an outstanding essay on how a man should purposefully, honorably, and in a timely fashion pursue the possibility of marriage in a relationship, rather than stalling indefinitely in a pattern of continual indecision.
The theological and practical convictions Lawrence expresses are similar to the concerns that drove me to write With One Voice: Singleness, Dating and Marriage to the Glory of God. Too many men fail to value the intrinsic goodness of marriage, and how God intends romantic and sexual longings to point in that direction. Too many men fool themselves into thinking “the grass is greener on the other side” (perhaps some other girl might be better for me).
On another note, too often the church fails to give single men a kick in the rear for the passivity and laziness that contributes to their delay of entering marriage. Much confusion surrounds the “gift of singleness.” Yet I Cor 7 and other passages teach a gift of CELIBACY not a gift of singleness. Nor is it (necessarily!) a violation of biblical contentedness to strongly desire a husband or wife. Rather, those desires are often God-given means to point toward marriage for our sanctification and enjoyment.
Hey I’m biased, but you should really read the whole book!
Note: You can click elsewhere on this website to see a more detailed summary of With One Voice, along with endorsements from R. Albert Mohler, Bruce Ware, Ben Patterson, and Rick Holland (college pastor alongside John MacArthur) and reviews by master-blogger Tim Challies and seminary student Ryan Corbett.