To the Girl Who Wants a Husband More Than Jesus

By Amanda Seibel

I think it’s safe to say that every person who has ever walked the earth has had a longing to be truly and deeply loved.

From the time we are little, and all through our growing years, we wonder curiously about what love the future might hold. We wonder when it will be our turn to find “the one,” our turn for a beautiful wedding day. We put so much thought into who it could be or what qualities this special person will have. We wonder what our lives together might be like, where we might go, and what we might do.

“Marriage is a gift to be desired and treasured, but it is not the fulfillment of our hearts’ deepest longings.”

When single youths turn into single adults, thoughts like these can easily crowd our mind. Anticipation and longing can easily fill up our heart. Marriage is a beautiful thing to desire. God makes it clear that it is a treasure and, when done in his grace and strength, can even be a taste of heaven on earth. Longing for marriage is not in the least bit wrong.

However, one thing that we can easily forget is that marriage, in all of its beauty and glory, is still at its very best only a taste of heaven.

A Treasured Reminder

Suppose dear friends of yours go off on a long journey and will be away indefinitely. Before leaving, those friends give you a picture of themselves to be remembered by. That picture would most likely become a treasure to you.

When you look at it, you are reminded of the cherished memories that you have with these friends. You think of what it feels like to be in their presence and the joy that they bring to your life. You long for them with a deep ache at times, wishing that you could be in their presence again. In those times of loneliness, you cling to that picture hoping those memories never fade.

Now, say that you receive news that these friends have finally returned from their long journey and that you now have the opportunity to see them face to face. How crazy would it be to refuse to see these friends in person, and instead continue to cling to your tiny, flimsy picture? It would be absurd.

“We rob ourselves of true joy when we idolize the picture of marriage above the reality it represents.”

While the friends are away, the picture is obviously a beautiful treasure, as you wait expectantly for the day when you’re reunited. But when the friends are no longer gone, and the opportunity to spend time with them is suddenly available again, how could you possibly be satisfied with a mere picture? It is impossible to imagine someone who could value a picture of a friend more than a living, breathing, and loving friend.