The boy will still have to finish school or drop out and be penalised for his lack of education later in life. The girl who cannot get along in her family’s household is going to have trouble getting along with in-laws when she sets her own marriage. There are better ways to come to grips with these, and other difficulties, than through an early marriage.
Any youngster who feels torn between his parents and the boy or girl he/she is emotionally involved with should think very seriously about what has gone wrong. Do the parents have any valid reasons on their side? Are they right to the point where their criticism is irritating and upsetting? In any case, when the friction between parents and children has gotten out of hand, a cooling off period is usually advisable. Before making a final decision to break off the relationship or to marry, the boy or girl should take time out to be by him/her self and think the situation through.
What kind of price would she/he pay if they ran away and got married? Are they perhaps marrying out of spite? To escape facing other problems? To prove that they are adults? Often it helps a lot to talk things over with a counsellor or religious leader. The important thing is for a youngster to stop and think before doing something he/she may regret later on.
If the boy or girl decides to break off the relationship, he or she may feel guilty and not know how to go about it without hurting the other person’s feelings. The best way is to be honest and direct.
Proverbs 13:13 He who scorns instruction will pay for it, but he who respects a command is rewarded. God rewards obedience.
