While many single men and women long to be married, this is not universally true.  With the increase in divorce and widespread dissatisfaction with family life, some adults are choosing to remain single to avoid the pressures, responsibilities and restraints of having a family.

Of course, marriage does involve tremendous responsibility and restraint.  But in denying ourselves and embracing God-given responsibilities, we become all that He created us to be.  It all comes back to that basic issue: What is the will of God for my life?

I have come to believe that you and I can manage to acquire almost anything we are determined to have.  If we want to be married badly enough, we can find someone who will marry us. 

If an unhappy spouse wants to get out of marriage badly enough, he or she can get out.  But we need to be reminded of how dangerous it is to insist that God give us our own will.  In fact, one of my fears is that God will give me everything I want!  The history of the Israelites is a vivid reminder that when God gives us what we demand, we may also get with it "leanness into their soul" (Ps. 106:15).

Over the years, I have come to realize that contentment is a choice. True joy is not the result of having everything I want but of gratefully receiving exactly what God has given me.  The enemy has robbed many of us of joy by getting us to live in that foolish realm of "if only ..." We feel that we would be happy, "if only ...":

"If only I had a husband ..." 
"If only I didn't have a husband ... !" 
"If only I had a different husband ..." 
"If only we had children ..." 
"If only we didn't have so many children ..." 
"If only I had a different job ..." 
"If only I lived in a different place ..." 
"If only I could own my own home ..."  
"If only I made more money ..."