What's the best age to get married?

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What is the best age to get married?  Understanding a Christ-ordained view of marriage will tell us that while some age ranges are best, the season of marriage is best determined according to Jesus' specific calling for a person.

From a utilitarian standpoint, people can determine what the best age to get married is based on different factors. Based on years best for conceiving children, we all know that getting married before our late twenties is arguably best and safest. Based financial stability, people will want to get married a little later to allow them time to build a financial base.

But based on a philosophical standpoint, there is really no specific age that we can say is God's most appointed time to get married. God works differently amongst different people and has a different calling for people. To say that getting married early or late generally helps us fulfil God's plan best would be a dangerous over-simplification of God's plan for marriage today.

Looking at a range of ages, God has brought so much success to people across different age ranges and sin has also ruined marriages across different ages as well. It's not so much our physical age but rather the level of spiritual maturity and dependence we have on Jesus Christ that should help us determine the 'best' age to marry.

If left to our own physical bodies, mental capacity or knowledge-base, we build weak foundations for marriage because our age, knowledge and skills can and will fail us at some point. But we know that Christ never fails. Ephesians 2:20 says, "built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone." There is no basis or foundation better than Christ.

So when it comes to the best age for you to get married, the best age for one to experience marriage is whatever age you come to the saving, sustaining and empowering knowledge of Jesus Christ. Social sciences and studies can help supplement the knowledge of best ages to get married to build financial stability; have as many children as possible; pursue career best or whatever, but unless all these plans are rooted in Christ, these plans will fail.

We need a revelation of Christ more than a level of utilitarian maximisation. We are to maximise dependence and full trust on Christ more than money, emotional maturity and physical stability because all these things come when we pursue Christ first.  Just as Matthew 6:33 reminds us, "But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."  When we are properly rooted in Jesus, we will be in the best shape we possibly can be to give ourselves fully to another human being.