This fear affects both men and women, but tends to hit women harder than men, particularly as they get older. Even in our modern society, a woman’s sense of worth is linked to marriage, home, and family more so than is a man’s.
Many women start to get worried if they reach the age of 30 and still are not married. Sometimes panic sets in. “What am I going to do? Everybody’s getting married except me! All of my friends are married. I’m the only one out of my graduating class who isn’t married. What’s wrong with me?”
With this mindset, some women will grab the first guy who comes along and shows any interest in her. He may not be any good for her, but that doesn’t matter. He may be a defective character destined to be a deficit to her life, but she doesn’t see that. She’s desperate! All she sees is that he is interested in her.
Even if he is only taking advantage of her, she convinces herself that he loves her and that she loves him. When he pops the question, she says, “Thank God!” and accepts eagerly. The only problem is that God had nothing to do with it. Her panic and fear of becoming an “old maid” have pushed her into a bad decision.
Men make the same mistake. Fearing the thought of being a bachelor all their lives, some men marry women who are not right for them. Fear of being left out causes many men and women to settle for a marriage that is less than what they could have had if they had been patient and trusted God.
When a person marries out of fear of being left out, one of two things usually happens. Either the marriage breaks up, or they “grin and bear it,” too embarrassed to admit to the world, and especially to their friends and family, that they made a mistake. Either way, the happiness they sought eludes them, and all they know is sorrow instead
