- June 21st, 2014, 1:36 pm
#456360
My wife and I had counseling before we were married. The pastor discussed some of the logistical challenges of marriage which was good. I think too many times people look at the marriage ceremony and union as something to be purchased. Our pastor really wanted to know about our relationship to see if it is something that our church could endorse. I would hope that some people go through counseling, and realize that they are getting married for the wrong reasons and maybe don't get married and wait until they understand what they are doing. If I were a pastor, I wouldn't want to marry anyone who paid me or asked me. I would want to ensure that, from a spiritual perspective, this was something I felt was God-blessed.
As far as the other debate that has hijacked the thread, lol, it's always wise to not live together before you get married. Doing so is a bad idea. Even if we feel that there were benefits. There might be earthly benefits to a lot of things that aren't a good idea. Aside from many other reasons, as humans with desires, it would be difficult for two people to live together and have romantic feelings for each other and remain celibate.
I'll put it this way. If someone struggles with getting drunk, then they probably should refrain from hanging out in a bar. God has built in a desire for sex among all of us because, in the right circumstance, it is God blessed. Obviously in the wrong circumstance, it isn't blessed and not only is a spiritual sin but can have physical consequences as well. Since this is a desire innate in the human condition, it is extremely unwise to tempt yourself.
Overall, anytime we try to redefine God's designs for relationships based on our own human desires, we're likely going down the wrong road. That includes homosexuality, pre-marital sex, etc.