A young man once told me in counselling, “Pastor, age is just a number.” He was set to marry a lady much older than him. I tried to help him see the real issues beyond age, but he would not listen. He believed love alone was enough.
Friend, age is never just a number in marriage. It represents the assets a person has become and the liabilities and baggage they have gathered over time (Psalm 90:12). Until you understand what age truly carries, you may make costly mistakes in your choice of a life partner (Proverbs 14:12).
The real question is not whether you should marry someone older or younger. The question is whether you understand the implications and demands of that choice (Ecclesiastes 10:15). Age may not always bring maturity, but it always brings mindsets, ideologies, and attitudes that can either build or break a marriage (1 Samuel 25:25).
Divine leading to marry an older person is not enough. You must situate that leading in wisdom and reality (Job 32:8). Who is this person? How submissive and sensitive are they to leadership and seniority? What baggage and what assets have they gathered? Your answers will determine your future (Proverbs 23:7).
Marrying a lady older than you as a young man demands unusual internal security and strong leadership (Proverbs 31:23). Everyone submits to true leadership regardless of age or status. You must be a man of wisdom, direction, and large-heartedness, not just a husband but a father figure who is bigger in stature, not in age (Psalm 45:10-11).
A proud or feminist woman cannot thrive marrying a younger man (Proverbs 25:24). Like Rebekah, every woman must come down from her high horse to honour the place of her husband regardless of her age or accomplishments (Genesis 24:64). Only when that understanding exists does age truly become just a number.
‘Demola Awoyele
Lead Pastor,
Destiny Impact Church
Akure, Nigeria
