29 April | Youth
«For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen.» Romans 11:36
For young Christians there is no such thing as recreational dating. There needs to be purpose. There is no time to waste. Dating for the sake of dating is not worth it nor does it have divine approval.
We live in a dangerous culture, increasingly sexualized and saturated by the media. God is sad when His children are treated as sexual objects. He does not want to see them selling their souls in exchange for a few moments of pleasure.
Dating, as we know it, is something recent. Most of our great-grandparents did not date. Their parents chose who they should marry. As incredible as it may seem, even today in the world, more than half of marriages are arranged. Also, there are statistics that show that 50% of girls and 40% of boys finish high school without ever having a boyfriend/girlfriend. It is not the end of the world.
It is important to dedicate yourself to developing an honest relationship with a person your own age, someone with whom you can share your ideals and interests. Developing a high degree of friendship and companionship with a person of the opposite sex will eventually require a decision: Are we dating or are we just going to be good friends? What kind of relationship will we have? Will this relationship take me closer to Jesus and His purpose for our lives?
Jesus is the reason for everything! Those who walk with Him make their choices based on His will. It’s that simple. Many single Christians think that God does not have to interfere in their relationship. However, Paul says in 1 Corinthians 10:31 that everything must be done for the glory of God. Everything belongs to the Lord, including you. He made you. He created you. He saved you. And, if your life purpose is to honor and glorify God in everything, that must include your dating life.
Practically speaking, a couple should have open conversations, read the Word of God, pray, go for walks, etc. When two young people seek to please God and serve Him in their emotional relationship, His name is glorified. Therefore, include Jesus in your dating life.