Before You Date Someone

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Hebrews 10:24

Here’s some advice for making your dating experiences something you can feel good about afterwards: 1) Be spiritually prepared. Talk to God while you’re getting ready. Time spent before the mirror is important, but time spent with God is all-important. This is never more so than when you’re looking for someone to spend the rest of your life with. 2) Talk openly about sex before it becomes an issue. Physical intimacy is a wonderful thing, but the Bible confines it to marriage where two people are committed to one another. So think protectively—and proactively. Genuine love doesn’t say, ‘If you loved me you would…’ It says, ‘I love you too much to take advantage of you, or cause you pain, or ask you to do something you feel is wrong and that you’ll feel bad about tomorrow.’ 3) Limit the time you are alone; it can easily lead to things you’ll regret later. When your friends start saying they never see you anymore, chances are you’re becoming too exclusive, and setting yourself up to fail. Don’t always date as a couple; spend time in the company of others too. 4) Do it right this time. If you’ve been permissive in past relationships, don’t be discouraged. ‘If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins…’ (1 John 1:9). That means you can start again with a clean slate. The strongest relationships always put God at the center. They strive to demonstrate the kind of love Paul describes in First Corinthians chapter thirteen. Make a point of reading it today!

Prayer
Heavenly Father, help me in all relationships to be honoring to You, who always wants the best for me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen