NB: Original article taken from: http://www.wikihow.com/Have-a-God-Centered-Dating-Relationship
Do you want to have God at the center of your dating
relationship? Would you like God to influence the love you show
another person? Here is some advice to help you pursue God’s will
in your dating relationship.
Steps
- Remember that God’s Love is the Best. Keep in mind the
love God has for you. Realize that the most perfect love comes from
God. He will do much more to fill you than a person ever could.
Approach your dating relationship knowing that God loves you and
likes you. Always remember He sent His son, Jesus, to die for your
sins. Make sure you are strong in your relationship with God. This
means knowing that He is always there to help you along the way.
Trust Him. Make God the most important in your life. Make Him the
love of your life. - Know the Ideal Match for you. Date someone that you
would consider marrying. Choose a person that has a similar desire
for God, one that will build you up in your faith. If you are
already in a relationship, positively encourage your boyfriend or
girlfriend in their pursuance of God. Help them to keep God the
focus. - Pray. Pray about your dating relationship. Give
everything over to God. Let God know that you are asking His
approval. Talk to God about the problems that arise. Thank Him for
the opportunity to be in a relationship and the happy times you
experience. You can also pray with your boyfriend or girlfriend. It
is a good way to help each other out with whatever stresses life
brings. By praying together, you are experiencing God
together. - Talk about God. Make an effort to bring God into your
conversations. Not only will it help in keeping God on your minds,
you will also find out about each other’s beliefs. Talking about a
spiritual subject changes normal conversation into one of eternal
significance. Discussing God also allows you to build up each
other’s knowledge and confidence. - Read the Bible. Keeping God’s words in your heart helps
you to remember the love and promises He has for you. Try reading
the Bible together. It is fun, spiritual and good for conversation.
Different verses will help you along the way in your
relationship. - Get involved with Church. Make sure your boyfriend or
girlfriend and you are active in the body of Christ. You will feel
good about sharing God’s love. He calls us to serve Him. Find a
bible study. Love on people. Find a church where you can be
involved together. - Be careful with physical affection. Hugs are great. God
created physical affection to be good. But be careful in how much
physical permission you give one another. A relationship can easily
turn sinful if physical bonding occurs too quickly. Everyone is
different. But if you feel guilty at all for actions, it may be
good indication that you are going too far. Avoid physical actions
that might cause lustful thoughts. Save sex for marriage. Talk
about your physical actions with each other, making sure you are
both comfortable and feeling great. Remember, you might have to
explain actions to your future spouse if you do not marry the guy
or girl you are currently dating. - Show Christ’s love to each other. Make sacrifices for
each other. Watch a chick flick. Go to a basketball game. Do not
judge. Be willing to serve one another. Caress your girlfriend’s
hair or even massage your boyfriend’s feet. Put one another above
yourselves. Place their needs above your own. Find how to show love
to each other. Use the love God has shown you and bring it to your
boyfriend or girlfriend. - Pursue the Fruits of the Spirit. Strive to maintain the
traits of godliness. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,
meekness, etc. This will work to relieve the relationship of
worldly troubles. - Have Fun and Praise God. Smile and know that God is with
you. Enjoy the life that God has given the both of you. Whenever
you get the chance, praise God for whatever He has poured into your
life. Trust and know that God has your back. He wants what is best
for the both of you. - Cherish your own personal God time. Make sure you spend
time alone with God. You need moments of reading the Bible,
journaling or praying just between you and God. Since God is your
ultimate lover, it is good to have that alone time with Him. - Keep in mind the reality that God is real. While having
a special someone can bring great happiness in this world,
realizing the eternally wonderful nature of God’s love is something
you do not want to miss. God is real. His love is real. God is
love. Realize that God is working in your life right now. His
forgiveness is real and His promises are real. Give the love God
has given you to your boyfriend or girlfriend. God’s love is
perfect. Let Christ’s love reign in your dating relationship. Let
the love you have for each other be a banner to the world
displaying God’s goodness.
Tips
- The 'Hollywood formula' for relationships is: 1.Find the right
person 2.Fall in love (focus on emotions) 3.Put all your hopes and
dreams on that person 4.When it doesn't work assume you have the
wrong person and start the process over with someone else. - However, God's formula for lasting relationships are: 1. Focus
on becoming the right person 2.Walk in love (A choice to love
someone when they need it the most but deserve it the least; agape)
3.Set your hopes and dreams on God (knowing that human
relationships can't fulfil you or make you whole, only God can) 4.
If that doesn't work, start again at step 1 (which is becoming the
kind of person God wants you to be who is right person for your
future spouse) - Useful Bible verses:
- “Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires
of your heart.” Psalm 37:4 - “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not
boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it
is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not
delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects,
always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” 1 Corinthians 13:
4-7 - “The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will
take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will
rejoice over you with singing." Zephaniah 3:17 - “I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God. For
he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a
robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a
priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.” Isaiah
61:10 - Also try reading different Christian dating books.
Warnings
- Be sure to guard your heart spiritually. Limit your daydreaming
and focus on reality. Ask God to protect you from heartache. - Remember that a person cannot fill the holes only God can fill.
Do not set yourself up for disappointment. We are all merely human.
Be willing to forgive. Love as Christ would love.