Yeah, I know.

I'm gonna get it for this one.

So I've been praying to be married all this time, and I've been told that singleness is a gift that God gives us to serve Him wholeheartedly. And I believed that lie for most of my life, but now I have been corrected. The following is actually copied from my comments to the post of a friend on Facebook.

Singleness isn't a gift. It is a state. Paul said that he learned to be content in whatever state he found himself. But he also said that "he who gives in marriage does well" although he did say that he who does not give in marriage does better. Jesus also said that "not everyone is able" to stay single (Matthew 19:8-10), responding to his ... Read Moredisciples' suggestion that the difficulties of marriage pose too great a barrier to success.

I'm not for jumping into marriages that don't honor the Lord, but I don't think that people who are single should be made to feel guilty for looking for a spouse. Nothing in the Bible condemns marriage. In fact, Paul tells us that it is a "doctrine of devils" to forbid someone to marry (1 Tim 4:1-3).

And, anyway, a strong desire for something is not idolatry. Hannah's strong desire for a son was not considered idolatry by God, even though He had not given her any specific promise that she would have a son. And He honored her request.

Here is a good definition of covetousness: a desire so strong for anything that it makes you willing to sin to get it. Desiring marriage is not a sin, unless you are willing to commit fornication or to marry an unbeliever to get it.

And marriage is a ministry, too. It is a ministry of sanctification for both husband and wife (1 Cor 7). Now, I realize that that's about 10 cents' worth, but, hey--it's still the truth!

Last comment: if you are thinking about marriage all the time, how could you possibly be serving the Lord undistractedly? Obviously, it's not the case. It's better in such a case to actually get married (1 Cor 7:9)!