Life Choices

(Proverbs 19:14 KJV)  House and riches are the inheritance of fathers: and a prudent wife is from the LORD.

Marriage is always risky.  It amazes me how many people we run into are divorced and remarried with all the challenges of blended families.  From what we can see it looks like they are coping.  I can’t picture what it is like being raised in a family where I have “brothers and sisters” that share no DNA with me.  But it is necessary for many.

One aspect of marriage is how you end up with the spouse you have.  In this verse it points out that material possessions are things we can figure out.  When we bought our new home we had it inspected by someone who is supposed to find the flaws.  When you buy stock you have a prospectus to consult.  When it comes to a wife there is little you can be sure of.  I read somewhere that women marry with the understanding they will be able to mold the man into what they want.  Men marry expecting her to stay the way she is.  Both are headed for disappointment.  There is a divine element in choosing the right spouse. 

So?  There may be a reason here for Paul urging singles to stay single.  At the same time, marriage is instituted by God.