| ngle Christian, you may have pondered about whether | | | | something more serious if all goes well; others take a |
| you are spiritually ready for a dating relationship. | | | | more conservative stance, involving families and a |
| Perhaps you came here looking for some Christian | | | | preparation for marriage. Being ready for the latter |
| dating advice on the subject. I have found myself | | | | would mean much more preparation, before a dating |
| unsure of the topic many times. I have concluded on | | | | commitment is made, than it would take for being |
| many occasions, after dating relationships have ended, | | | | ready for a less serious dating relationship |
| that I am not ready because the dates don’t | | | | commitment. Whatever perspective someone has on |
| seem to develop into longer-lasting relationships. I | | | | dating can play a key role in being ready. |
| thought, there must be a reason. I was not sure what | | | | I would say that there is a difference between being |
| being ready meant but I thought, God must know what | | | | generally ready and being spiritually ready to date |
| He’s doing. However, I couldn’t help but | | | | someone. General readiness is a subjective term; it |
| feel a little worthless at times. I have thought maybe | | | | usually means being physically or emotionally ready in |
| something is wrong with me, and that God has | | | | the world’s eyes and can include things such as |
| someone for me but I was, somehow, messing up His | | | | finished school, having time to maintain the relationship, |
| plan by getting too nervous or excited in the dating | | | | or having an understanding about what a pure |
| process. All the while, I have tried to be content in God, | | | | Christian dating relationship looks like. I would say that |
| while keeping a door open to the eligible mates that | | | | spiritual readiness is more important and should be |
| might pop into my life. But, what do we do when we | | | | developed, regardless of our dating definitions. An |
| meet and click with someone? As the dating decisions | | | | understanding of our identity in Christ, before getting |
| start, how can we know if we are spiritually ready to | | | | intimately involved with another person, is key to being |
| start a dating relationship with someone (whatever our | | | | spiritually ready. I would also define spiritual readiness |
| definition of dating may be)? | | | | as being ready to love someone else, including all the |
| Generally speaking, dating is another form of a | | | | things that 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 says about love. Take a |
| relationship. We have friends, work colleagues, | | | | moment to read it now. You may be thinking that this |
| marriages, and, most importantly, our relationship with | | | | type of love is hard to find or that it takes time to |
| God. Each relationship’s degree of intimacy | | | | develop, so how can we be spiritually ready to love |
| takes the effort of both parties to develop and | | | | someone in a dating relationship? The catch is that this |
| maintain. In the case of dating, the effort that goes into | | | | scripture describes God’s love for us, and only |
| the relationship is based on our dating definitions. There | | | | when we have met God and understand His love for |
| is no biblical answer to how we should date; yet, the | | | | us, personally, are we ready to be vessels of the |
| spiritual welfare of our brother and sister in Christ | | | | same love. In other words, God is able to use us to |
| should always be of importance. Some people may | | | | show His love for another human being. |
| say that dating is a friendship that can develop into | | | | |