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Don’t most people “kick the tires” before buying a car? Absolutely! So why not “kick the tires,” so to speak, before committing to a lifelong relationship? Seems reasonable. But…not so fast. My purpose this week is to show why living together before marriage is not a part of God’s design. I pray that you will use this information to make godly decisions and give godly counsel.

Once again, back to Genesis 2:24.

Genesis 2:24
Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.

Yesterday we considered the three primary reasons why couples choose to live together before marriage. Today let’s consider three statistics as evidence that “kicking the tires” doesn’t work.

1. Most cohabitating couples will either break up or marry within two years.
   Those who break up carry the baggage of a failed intimate connection into their next relationship. While it seems that marriage within two years is a positive outcome, statistics show that the union is built upon a shaky foundation.
2. The rate of divorce among couples that have lived together prior to marriage is 50% higher than among couples that have not.
   The man who built his house on the sand took a shortcut. When the storms came, the foundation could not secure the house. The shaky foundation of cohabitation is like building your marriage on the sand.
3. After ten years of marriage, only fifteen out of one hundred cohabitating couples are still together.
   The odds are against couples that live together before marriage. Of those who say, “I do,” 85% end up saying, “I’m out.”

Research is clear. Living together is a shortcut that positions the relationship on a faulty foundation. “We know better than the Architect of marriage!” is an arrogant and dangerous statement.

Father, forgive us for exchanging your design for our desires. Help us follow your instructions for marriage. In Jesus’ name. Amen.