Dating can be such a wonderful activity when we date with a purpose. Young people should focus on developing a friendship, instead of focusing on an extreme emotional attachment or intense sexual experience. In this type of relationship, you allow each other a level of respect that will help you to grow together and understand each other’s needs in a healthy and loving way.Song of Solomon 2:7b states, “Do not arouse or awaken love until it so desires.” When God is the center of your relationship and honoring each other is a priority, you are taking the steps that will lead you toward a quality marriage relationship. Most young people want to experience a healthy relationship, but get trapped into thinking that relationships must start with sex or emotional attachments. Many people that I have interviewed have stated that before they got married, they started dating in this way. They asked God for guidance, but never had peace about taking their relationship to the next level. There were red flags like lack of trust, communication, lust, controlling and abusive behavior. Still, they went ahead and married despite the warning signs because of the emotional attachment that had been formed. Divorce resulted in some cases. Many people live with the thought that they have made a mistake and regret the day of their wedding.

A dating relationship can be one of the  most enriching experiences in your life and can definitely end up leading you to a blessed marriage. There are a few principles that I encourage young people to follow in regards to dating.

• Put God first and fall in love with Him.
• Focus on becoming special to someone else.
• Focus on who you are becoming.
• Don’t think so much about who you want to attract, but who God wants you to be.
• Have in your heart the value of dating in purity.
• Learn to listen to God’s voice and fall in love with His Word. It is through a heart of pleasing God and obeying Him that God heals your heart and helps you become the best you can be.
• Enjoy the season that you are in. Be thankful.
• Pray for God’s will to be done in your life and for the protection and the growth of your spouse to be. Allow others to pray for you and learn from others as you wait.
• Trust in God’s perfect timing.
• When you start dating someone, make sure you get to know this person well.