Is it okay for Christian couples to live together prior to marriage? Hannah Wegman, project coordinator and writer for Concerned Women for America (CWA), says a lot of people were shocked when she and her fiancé revealed they will move in together only after getting married.
Many people want to test out their compatibility first before tying the knot, while other couples think it's practical to live together to save on costs. However, Wegman thinks it's worth it for couples to wait.
"We Americans have developed a short attention span; whether it's social media, fast food, or even relationships (thanks to the hook-up culture), the more quick and 'hassle-free,' the better," she writes in an article for The Christian Post. "As a result, people both inside and outside the Church are becoming increasingly willing to settle for substitutes of God's best — especially regarding sex and marriage."
Regardless of what society dictates, Wegman says God knows best. It isn't "dorky, sheltered or naïve" to believe in God's plan for marriage since it will always outlast boredom or any other childish pleasure.
"Pledging to love someone for life is much deeper and more fulfilling than 'playing house' for a phase. A marriage covenant is a promise to stay with your spouse without stipulations," she says.
Sure, there will be a lot of upsetting things that one's spouse will do, such as leave the toilet seat up, leave soggy cereals, or make a mess out of the kitchen. But Wegman says the true picture of the Gospel is in "being fully known and yet fully loved."
"When two people embody this Gospel to one another daily, with an 'all-in' attitude — the result is a marriage, and sex, that are exceedingly more satisfying than any half-in substitute," she explains. "Our culture has lost sight of that beautiful truth and the art of waiting for it. As the Church, it is our job to exemplify to the world what true love looks like. May we take that role seriously and not settle for any synthetic version of the real thing."
