When a Generation Chooses Not to Marry: A Christian Perspective

Date: Friday, February 27, 2026

Source: Based on “The Generation That May Never Marry” by Aria Schrecker in The Spectator and analysis from Albert Mohler’s The Briefing.

A recent article in The Spectator raises a troubling question: What happens when an entire generation simply never gets married? The statistics are stark—those born in 1960 had an 85% chance of marrying by age 40. For today’s young adults in Britain, that number is plummeting toward zero. And here’s the reality check: this isn’t just a British problem. The same trajectory is unfolding in the United States.

The Crisis Behind the Headlines

Albert Mohler framed it plainly in his Friday briefing: this isn’t merely a social trend—it’s a creation order issue. When society separated sex from marriage, and marriage from procreation, we didn’t just change cultural norms. We severed something fundamental to how humans were designed to live.

The consequences are compounding:

Loneliness is epidemic. People—particularly men—have fewer friends than ever.
Birth rates are collapsing across the developed world.
Healthcare systems will buckle when the elderly vastly outnumber working-age adults.
Communities are fragmenting into isolated individuals with no family ties.

Even secular analysts acknowledge the problem: married people are measurably happier and healthier. Yet marriage rates continue to fall faster than people’s desire to get married.

What the Church Must See

Christians shouldn’t be surprised by this. Genesis 1:27-28 establishes the pattern: “So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and increase in number…’”

Marriage isn’t a cultural construct or a relic of the past—it’s woven into creation itself. When a society systematically removes marriage from the equation, it doesn’t just change statistics. It produces loneliness, instability, and generations of people without the relational anchors that human flourishing requires.

The church has something countercultural to offer: a vision of marriage as sacramental, as covenant, as the foundation for family and community. But we must also be honest about the challenges:

Economic pressures make marriage feel impossible for young adults
Cultural messaging treats marriage as optional rather than normative
Delayed maturity means people are marrying later—or not at all
The church’s own failures have undermined our witness

Fruits of the Spirit in This Issue

❤️ Love

“Love is patient, love is kind.” — 1 Corinthians 13:4

When the world chases independence and self-sufficiency, the church gets to model something different: love that commits, love that stays, love that sacrifices self for another. Healthy marriages are love in action—daily choosing another person above yourself.

😄 Joy

“The joy of the Lord is your strength.” — Nehemiah 8:10

Marriage isn’t always easy, but it offers a unique joy found in partnership. Couples who navigate life together—through hard times and good—experience a joy that singletons often lack. The church celebrates this joy.

☮️ Peace

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.” — John 14:27

A godly marriage is a sanctuary in a chaotic world. When families dissolve, the church can offer the peace that comes from covenant-keeping and mutual submission before God.

⏳ Patience

“Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord.” — James 5:7

Building relationships takes time. The church can model patience in a world of instant gratification—showing that lasting love is worth waiting for.

💚 Kindness

“Be kind and compassionate to one another.” — Ephesians 4:32

Kindness in marriage means serving each other selflessly. The church shows kindness by supporting struggling marriages and welcoming single people with equal dignity.

✨ Goodness

“Let your light shine before others.” — Matthew 5:16

Good marriages glorify God. When the world sees healthy, God-honoring marriages, it points them toward goodness.

💙 Faithfulness

“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess.” — Hebrews 10:23

Marriage is a covenant of faithfulness. In a world of disposable relationships, the church proclaims a faithfulness that mirrors Christ’s love for us.

🕊️ Gentleness

“Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, restore them gently.” — Galatians 6:1

Divorce, broken families, and loneliness often leave people wounded. The church responds with gentleness, not judgment.

🎯 Self-Control

“For God did not give us a spirit of timidity.” — 2 Timothy 1:7

Sexual integrity, delayed gratification, and commitment require self-control. The church equips people to exercise this fruit in a culture that encourages impulse.

A Call to Faithfulness

Here’s the thing: God is still at work. Even in the midst of declining marriage rates, the church can:

Model healthy marriages that point to Christ’s love for the church
Support young families with community, resources, and mentorship
Redefine success away from cultural metrics toward faithfulness
Speak truth with compassion about God’s design for marriage and family

The collapse of marriage isn’t inevitable—it’s a choice societies are making. And choices can be reversed, one faithful decision at a time.

Prayer

Lord, thank You for the gift of marriage and the family You designed. Raise up a generation that values covenant relationships. Equip the church to be a beacon of hope in a lonely world. Grow Your fruits in us: love that commits, joy that endures, peace that anchors, patience that waits, kindness that serves, goodness that glorifies, faithfulness that stays, gentleness that heals, and self-control that disciplines. Amen.

This post was inspired by “The Generation That May Never Marry” by Aria Schrecker in The Spectator and the February 27, 2026 briefing from Albert Mohler at The Briefing.