When we get married, it's supposed to be for the rest of our life, so we want to really make sure we can spend the rest of our life with this person.

It's important that we marry someone for the right reasons and not the wrong reasons.

The following are some wrong reasons for getting married:

1. Pressure from family or friends
There may be a certain person whom your family or your friends really like. They may think you've waited long enough to get married, so you would better grab this one while you can.

But you are the one who's marrying this person; they are not the ones who have to live with them day in and day out for the rest of their lives!

Don't get me wrong. I think your parents' advice and the advice of people close to you is important. But ultimately, you are the one making a lifelong commitment. It's important not to give in to pressure from other people but to marry the one God has placed in your life and you know is right for you.

2. Your biological clock is ticking
Tick, tock, tick, tock. Have you ever been sleeping by a clock and listening to it ticking, thinking, "That's me! Time is running out - my biological clock is ticking"?

That is a very real feeling, especially for women. You may want to get married and have a family, and it feels as though time is short. Just remember, God knows the desires of your heart. He knows if you want children, and He can make a way for you, even when it seems as if there is no way.

Marrying the wrong person just because you feel as though there's no more time left can still lead to a miserable future. I have a friend who waited a long time to get married, and she desperately wanted a family. She got married in her late thirties, and do you know what God did for her? He gave her twins! That's the blessings of God; He gave her double (Isa. 61:7).

You too can have double for your trouble. God always makes it worth your wait! Just because your answer is delayed doesn't mean it's been denied. Just because you have waited a long time doesn't mean you are not going to get it.

There are times when people experience a "divine delay." In other words, there are still some things the Lord may want you to receive where you are right now, before you move on to another season.

In my own life, there are many things I have done for the Lord that I really don't believe I could have done in the same way had I been married with children. We have to learn to trust our heavenly Father and His love for us. He knows what we need and when we need it. Father knows best! God loves you, and He will give you the desires of your heart.

3. You're lonely
You don't want to marry someone just to keep from being alone. There are a lot worse things than being single, and plenty of married people are desperately lonely. Marrying the wrong person won't solve the problem of loneliness; only God can do that.

Being alone does not mean you have to be lonely. Don't be so desperate that you just marry anybody to keep from being alone.

4. You're tired of being a third wheel
Do you ever feel as if the whole world is a couple except you? Or do you ever wonder if couples just invite you along somewhere because they feel sorry for you?

I have a friend who hates to go to a restaurant with couples because there always seems to be an even number of chairs at the table, and no one can figure out whom she should sit next to.

Or she feels awkward that someone else's husband is always having to open the door for her or pull out her chair. But you don't get married just because you want to be a couple.

5. Someone loves you and/or needs you
I got to know a Christian man one time who was head over heels in love with me, and I didn't feel the same way about him. I was flattered by how much he loved me, and pretty soon I was in love with the fact that he loved me.

But it wouldn't have been fair to him to marry him knowing that I didn't love him the same way he loved me, even though he was a really nice guy.

You also don't want to marry someone just because they need your help. Some of us are such givers that we want to help people. I've known of people getting married just because one of them told the other one, "I can't live without you." That's a wrong reason to get married.

6. Based on their looks alone
It's important to be physically attracted to the person you marry, but on the other hand, you can't marry someone based on looks alone. Looks will fade and bodies will change, so what's important is what's on the inside of someone.

Have you heard the saying, "The lights are on but nobody's home?" I have met several very attractive guys and if I were marrying them based on looks, I would be married now! But I found out they didn't have much integrity, character, or even common sense.

Sometimes women can use their looks to get what they want, but that's wrong, too. A woman may be beautiful and attractive and play the field with different men. That may be the kind of woman some guys like to date, but they don't usually want to marry them. A woman like that might not be a good mother to their children or be the godly woman that they really are searching for deep inside.

7. You think no one else may want you
Don't settle for the wrong person just because you think there's no one else out there for you. If you want to be married, God has the right one for you! Don't marry the first person who comes along just because you're desperate.

Often times there may be a counterfeit right before the real thing. Maybe you have found someone who really loves you, but you don't care that much for them. Don't marry them just because you think they're your last chance, and no one else may want you. God has someone special waiting in the wings just for you.

8. Money only
Money is important, and it takes money to live, but it shouldn't be your only reason for getting married. You can marry someone rich and be miserable if they're not the right one for you.

I had two opportunities to do that. I met one guy whose dad was a billionaire, and if I were going to marry someone just for money, I would have married him. He was a Christian, but there were things in his life that disqualified him as a good husband.

Money is important, but it's not everything! I know someone who said she's going to marry for money only, and she is still single. She dated some really famous people, but I think they could tell she just wanted to marry someone with money. No one wants to marry someone like that!

9. You need help
We could be talking here about help to raise your children, help around the house, help in your business or any number of things. And a spouse should help you with all those things, but that shouldn't be the only reason you marry someone.

10. You want to have sex
This subject was pretty well addressed in a previous chapter, but it still needs to be on this list. Some people rush ahead and get married just so they can have sex, but then they regret it later. Maybe their heart was right, wanting to get married before they have sex, but they move too quickly before they really get to know the person.

You need to make sure you don't rush into marriage just to meet certain physical needs. Ask God to help you and give you strength to wait for the right one.

Source: Single and Loving It by Kate McVeigh
Excerpt permission granted by Harrison House Publishers