Brad Wilcox, director of the Get Married Initiative at Institute for Family Studies, recently published an article advocating for young marriage and family formation. Wilcox argues that getting married young, “maximizes your odds of forging a meaningful life as a young adult, and of having the number of kids you would like to have.” Many young people believe they must wait until their mid-twenties to get married and start families, but they fail to consider the blessings that come from committing early and growing with their spouse.

Although not everyone is meant to get married in their early twenties, Wilcox makes a valuable point: early marriage carries both risks and immense blessings. In a culture that often promotes a message of fear surrounding marriage, we have a responsibility to teach young people that marriage and children are both gifts from the Lord.