My Top 5 Reasons to be Married

No One Wants to Get Married Anymore.

Look at what our culture sees as entertaining. I know for women, it seems fun to buy clothes from certain stores, not being anchored down by a man, and having the freedom to see whoever you would like. Being independent and successful are also factors that rate a women’s worth in our society.

And for men, the commitment and responsibilities that come with marriage may be a bit overwhelming.

The sad truth is that our society is no longer pro-marriage. Cris and I have been married for over three years, and it has become more obvious that more people do not respect the bounds of marriage, or marriage in general. There is a need for married couples to be a strong witness and a constant role model for other married couples, especially in our families, at work, and in the world.

Honestly, I believe this is caused from the effects of our society’s values, mainly from abortions and contraception. Research shows approximately 66% of my generation, the Millennials, have come from a single parent or divorced family. The rest grew up with friends with broken families (Read more).

There are two huge misconceptions that our society has about marriage.

1. Marriage is scary and too big of a commitment.

I can understand this, because honestly this was one of my fears when I was engaged. The very thought of a commitment this huge was frightening. I never thought about marriage until I was faced with our engagement. If you are called to marriage it is a vocation for a lifetime, it is with the intent to go to Heaven. Marriage calls us to live beyond ourselves, but God will provide the grace.

2. After the wedding day we will live Happily-Ever-After!

After shows coming out like The Bachelor, The Bachelorette, and other movies about weddings, it’s easy to see people out there who believe the wedding will begin their Happily-Ever-After. Then we wonder why there is a show called Bridezilla when things do not go perfect during a women’s false impression of her day when her Happily-Ever-After is supposed to happen. The truth is, life is just beginning after the wedding day and life is fun, messy, tough, difficult and everything in between. Marriage is when the real work begins.

These are my top 5 reasons to be married

1. Marriage is not glamorous, but it is a life of opportunities to love.
2. Life happens, in fact sometimes it’s a bigger cross because there are two of you involved. Thankfully, you are not alone through difficult times, your spouse is going through it with you.
3. In marriage, you have someone who knows you better than anyone else, that is able to challenge you, and try something new.
4. In marriage, you have a prayer buddy to remind you of your ultimate vocation, heaven.
5. Marriage is a constant opportunity for growth and grace.

I invite you all to write your own top reasons to be married. What have you done for your marriage?

Further Reading

Humane Vitae – Pope Paul VI