Christian Dating Values - A Biblical Perspective

Every parent hopes that their children will choose purity in dating relationships and that they will wait for marriage before entering into any physical intimacy. This is why teaching your children Christian dating values is so important.

If you model these values to your children, they are also far more likely to subscribe to them in their turn. Christian dating values may seem somewhat intimidating, but they are really very simple. The first rule is respect.

Because you respect each other, you will not engage in behavior that might lead to more physical intimacy than either of you are ready for, and which would lead you into a state of sin.

Next, as Christians you agree that God is the Lord of your life and you will model your Christian dating behavior upon the principles taught in the Bible. Keeping yourself pure until marriage, not tempting one another physically, and relying upon God in prayer and worship are all tenets of Christian dating values.

As part of a larger Christian community, you can rely upon your church family to walk in faith alongside you and to help you in your goal of purity until marriage. Christian dating physical limits do not just mean that you are alone in your struggle against the temptations of the flesh! As your church family prays with you, the bond of love is strengthened and your future spouse knows that you are committed to a future together - in Christian love.

Let's look at the larger issue: in Christian dating, it is implicit that you are looking for a lifetime of commitment in the love of God, and not a one night stand with quickly satisfied physical lust. Marriage is the ultimate goal of physical intimacy, as are children, not merely indulging physical desires.

To that end, physical intimacy is worth waiting for, as a gift to God and each other. In this way you will learn self control as a couple, you will learn to rely upon God when your desire for each other threatens to overcome your better judgment, and you will learn that, despite feelings of deprivation, you will still love one another in the end. You will also learn to trust each other that much more.

Christian dating values are not archaic or outmoded, nor do they create unnecessary deprivation or suffering. They teach, rather, that restraint is a sign of maturity, that placing the sanctity of marriage above the desires of the flesh indicates true commitment, and that God is sovereign in your relationship. Louis Zhang, Echristiandatingadvice dot com