I am a young man preparing for the move from high school to university, and I feel a deep desire to be married one day, and enjoy the emotional intimacy one has with their spouse. To feel God’s love reflected from a person who is flesh and blood. However, intellectually I acknowledge that I would likely be the most useful to the kingdom if I remained celibate and devoted the extra time and resources to spiritual pursuits. Should I just give up on my dream?
One of my favorite verses in the Bible is Psalm 37:4. It reads, “Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desire of your heart.” And in Romans 12:1-2 Paul said that when we offer ourselves as living sacrifices to Him we’ll discover what His will is for us.
Rather than make any decision about marriage, I would suggest you allow Him to establish the direction for your life and focus your energy on following it. Since He already knows that your heartfelt desire is to be married, I suspect He’ll find a way to include that along with the other things He has in mind for you.
I can testify that He did this for me. My wife and I are partners in ministry. Because of her presence in my life, I am of greater service to the Lord than I would otherwise be.