It appears to my jaundiced eye that way too many young Christian men are in reality a Christianized versions of Peter Pan, telling themselves they are fighting the good fight (in this case for God and against the Devil—rather than Captain Hook), but doing so in order to avoid accepting the responsibility of wife and family. In many ways the original story is an indictment of men. It is Wendy who returns to her real life and grows up, including bringing all of the Lost Boys home with her, while Peter remains in Neverland having adventures.
When Paul discussed not marrying for the sake of the Gospel, he had very specific circumstances in mind (active persecution, need for evangelism in an anti-Christian society where family would be put at mortal risk). But I would venture to say he didn’t have in mind a sort of drifting existance where while you appeared available to the Christian women around you, you were in reality inert when it came to acting on God’s command to leave your father and mother and cleave to your wife. For the young Christian men I speak of, they use Paul’s admonition to avoid rather than embrace. Paul was speaking to men who would reluctantly and with great sacrifice give up marriage and family for singular ministry and a specific call of God (I think of men like John Stott, or C. S. Lewis until he met Joy). He wasn’t speaking to men who were looking for a way to avoid marriage and family, or put it off as long as possible to enjoy the bounty of the modern world, free of the financial burden and responsibility of wife and family.
As usual, it comes down to the heart and one’s motives. Even right things done for the wrong reason are not right. If you are a young Christian man drifting along the single road, I believe it is time for you to choose. Either you make a real and public commitment to singleness and the Lord’s ministry (which means being open to whatever he may call you to do or wherever he may call you to go) or you embrace your adulthood and take a wife and all of the responsibilities that entails. We all know what happens to the lukewarm.
Grace and peace to your day and may more Christian single men $#@% or get off the pot.
