There is a growing number of people that are not interested in getting married and starting a family. They seem to have thought about life, and came to a conclusion that to hit their life goals, family was irrelevant. The idea that getting married and building a home might even be an obstacle to becoming successful. Families demand so much time, energy and resources that you have to sacrifice your personal ambitions. While these objections might appear reasonable, they are coming from a selfish place that exalts personal happiness over collective growth and contribution.
A popular proverb of African origin says, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go with others”. You are not wrong for thinking that you will hit your goals faster if you did not have the baggage of a family to deal with. However, this mindset misses the obvious. Thinking you can get things done without a family gets you into bigger trouble. There is nobody that succeeds in a vacuum, without requiring the financial, intellectual and emotional support of others. The family is the place where you can tap into all of these, and more. And you have a sacred duty to play your role within this great institution.
A watchman understands that duty is more important than personal happiness. Your happiness does not matter. Happiness is a temporary state of mind, it is momentary. That is why when the naive mind asks, “are we not allowed to be happy?”, you should not hesitate to set the records straight. If everyone did what made them happy at the expense of family and society, there would be no society. Therefore, we see that our goal is not momentary happiness, but wholesome fulfilment. You want to reflect upon your life and feel a sense of accomplishment and fulfillment. You will not get this kind of fulfillment by selfishly choosing yourself over marriage and family. You get fulfillment from the things you give. The Holy Bible teaches you to put God first, others second and yourself last.
