Finding a "Good Thing:" Biblical Guidance to Finding a Spouse

Don’t you wish that you had it as easy as Adam and Eve? I mean, it was pretty obvious who they would marry. It was so uncomplicated. There was no wondering, “Is she the one?” Adam didn't wake up from his divinely induced slumber, behold woman and say, "Behold, this is bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh; I wonder if she is the one God has for me?". 

It is more complicated for us. For starters, we have to contend with our sinful desires and motives and those of others. In addition, we have many more “options.” That actually seems to make things more difficult. A plethora of possible mates can paralyze us because we have anxiety over missing out. 

I understand these feelings, but I think we often tend to over-complicate things. However, in order to be “marriage material,” the other person really only needs to be a Christian (not just in name, but in reality) and eligible for marriage (i.e., not already married, not unbiblically divorced, and a member of the opposite sex).

That being said, since we do not live in a culture in which we simply line up all the eligible Christian men on one side of the fellowship hall and all the Christian ladies on the other side and then pair them off for marriage, we must think about how to go about pursuing a spouse.  Proverbs says “He who finds a wife finds a good thing” (18:22). So, how do you find a good thing? 

We have spent a lot of time looking at an approach to dating that should be avoided and another of which you should be cautious.  Now we will turn our attention to some biblical principles which we can employ in seeking a spouse. 

This is part of the series God, Singleness, and Marriage: How the Bible Gives Purpose and Direction to Singles

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