Christian advice for dating couples

A Christian guide to dating: How to choose your partner

In matters of dating or courtship, I generally recommend that people either get married or break up within a year or so of beginning a dating relationship. I also believe that this recommendation applies with equal force to single men and women in college. In fact, they are usually really enthusiastic about doing so. We might even say that getting to know one another better and more deeply is up to a certain limited point, of course the very purpose of a dating relationship. As your general comfort level around each other rises, that momentum grows even more. Now picture, for example, college life. On most college campuses, that likely puts the two of you in the same relatively small social circle. Perhaps both of you are active in the same campus ministry, you go to the same church. Over time, maybe you take some of the same classes, live near one another, etc. This is exactly the level of intimacy that is reserved for marriage only and that dating couples should make every effort to restrain until the appropriate time.

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Because this sort of perhaps unintentional deception is a particular temptation in a dating context, we need to be deliberate about avoiding it. This is not the only way the early part of a relationship might look. These are simply suggested applications of biblical principles. In the end, there is no formula and no rote substitute for intellectually honest Christians seeking to care well for one another and to faithfully apply Scripture to infinitely varied relational circumstances. The first thing that should happen if it has not happened during the initiation of the relationship is that intentions should be established. Whatever that conversation looks like, intentions should be clear and it should be the man making them so.

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With a rich background in Counseling Psychology and Pedagogy, I am a licensed psychologist and certified coach dedicated to empowering individuals on their journey to a fulfilling Read More.

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10 Pieces of Christian Relationship Advice for Young Adults

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