As America faces unprecedented levels of mental health struggles among younger generations, there is a path that offers hope. The Institute for Family Studies termed it the “Success Sequence.” Unsurprisingly, their research-backed pathway to success coincides with God’s design for marriage and family.
The three-step sequence described by IFS is simple: Get at least a high school education, work full-time, and marry before having children.
“Among Millennials who followed what is known as the Success Sequence, 97% are not poor when they reach adulthood, and 90% reach the middle class or higher,” IFS wrote. “Young adults who manage to follow this sequence—even in the face of various disadvantages—are much more likely to flourish financially.”
The Success Sequence not only results in financial success but can also “help young adults flourish emotionally and achieve better mental health outcomes,” according to the study.
As the chart above demonstrates, with each step of the sequence that is completed, emotional distress dramatically decreases. The study also found that not only does completing each step matter, but the order of the steps plays a significant part in determining success and happiness.
“The order of marriage and parenthood plays an important role in young adults’ overall well-being,” the IFS study found. “Marrying before having children is not only linked to a lower risk of emotional distress but also to better general health and overall happiness. Millennials who married before having children are less likely to experience high emotional distress by their mid-30s compared with those who had a baby first (12% vs. 19%). They are also more likely to report being in great health (65% vs. 52%) and feeling happy all or most of the time (82% vs. 74%).”
We were created to thrive when following God’s plan for marriage and family – not because those external factors are the keys to happiness, but because pursuing God’s plan for creation will always be better than rejecting His perfect design. These statistics merely prove what Christians have been declaring for decades. Society is better off when married mom-and-dad families are supported and allowed to flourish.
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