Articles
Young Lady, Marry a Christian
Before any young lady marries a non-Christian, she should consider the following problems which so often face the Christian in a mixed marriage.
1. Problems in attending services. She should ask herself, "What will I do when my husband some Lord's day drives away in the car at 9:15, leaving me with no transportation to the service?" "What will I do when my husband announces that his company is moving us to some distant community where no church of the Lord meets?" The husband may not be as co‑operative as the young lady thought he would be.
2. Problems in giving. The young lady recognizes that if they are to reap bountifully, they must sow bountifully. She loves the Lord and His work, and wants to give liberally in support of it. Her husband, however, does not share her convictions and interest. He feels that a dollar is plenty to give.
3. Problems in training children. Yes, some have succeeded in bringing up their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord without the help of their companions. Eunice succeeded with Timothy. Other good women have succeeded. But the influence of a father is great, and many are the women who have not been able to overcome this influence to see their children become Christians.
4. Problems in overcoming the influence, of one's companion. Marrying with the hopes of reforming one's companion is a dangerous thing. Often the companion is lifted to a higher standard, but seldom to the standard of a Christian. Instead, as the non ‑Christian's standards are raised, the Christian's standards are lowered, so that the two meet somewhere in between. The young lady should realize that the man whom she marries will be the greatest earthly influence on her life, and she should ask herself, "Will this man help me to go to heaven?"
5. Emotional problems. The problems faced in life are great, but the emotional problems faced in death may be greater. Recently a godly woman, having just received word of her husband's death in an automobile accident, cried, "Why couldn't it have been me or one of the children, for my husband was not ready to die?"
The young person reading this is probably thinking, however, that she will convert her husband. She may be able to do so, but statistics show that her chances really are not very good. For every one who has been successful in converting her husband, there are several who not only failed in converting their husbands, but were influenced by them to return to the mire of sin and to enter the ranks of the unfaithful. No, the risk is too great. The only safe course is for Christians to marry Christians.
