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Years ago, I made the decision to save myself for my future husband. I set my standards high for that far off day when, Lord-willing, I would start to date. One of the decisions I made was to wait until I was out of high school to date. My sisters are in high school now, and we've had many chances to talk about standards and dating, etc. So I thought I'd make a post of it, and get everyone else's opinion on dating, and what standards you've made to keep yourself and your [future] relationships pure and glorifying to God. I will be posting later sometime on what my standards are, and why I feel they are right. :)
When do you think it is right to date?
What are the standards you've made to keep your relationships pure and glorifying to God?
I can not wait to read all your responses!!!!
Love,
Manda
Manda
To me, the purpose of dating is the step before engagement. You already know, and hopefully are friends with, the guy, and both of you feel that the Lord is bringing you together for the purpose of marriage. The only things in my mind that would lead to breaking off the relationship would be God's clear direction that He does not want you together, or discovering a major theological or worldview difference. That being said, I think that some people are ready for marriage a lot sooner than others. I have several friends, two couples in particular, who never planned on attending college. They started dating at the end of high school and married shortly after. However, most people I know, including myself, aren't ready to get married straight out of high school. For most people I think college is a time to get to know other Christians, especially if you attend a Bible college, and then eventually date. I have a couple close friends, both guys and girls, who I talk to about relationships and people I might be interested in and they help keep me accountable. Often one guy friend in particular will point out areas of weakness or concerned that I hadn't noticed in a guy. Also, set your standards high! Guys will not "get better" as time goes a long. Figure out what character traits would complement yours. Think about what you are looking for in a young man. Things such as a godly Christian leader, hard worker, and wanting a family are a good place to start. Also, if you dislike video games, don't become interested in guys that love them. Don't look at someone and say, "Oh I could change that." That's a bad attitude to have because it rarely works. One of the biggest areas to avoid compromising is physical purity. DO NOT change your standards. Two excellent books are And the Bride Wore White by Dannah Gresh and Passion and Purity by Elizabeth Elliot.
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