this is not advice but strictly my own views towards dating…my opinions are subject to change over time and in no way indicative of how i feel about dating in the future. please comment/flame as you please.
after reading through I kissed Dating Goodbye by Joshua Harris…I am not completely satisfied by the model of Godly dating that he provides. Sure, the guiding principles are great, there are a world of helpful info that provide good guidelines to Christians seeking to please God with their relationship.
I do not, however, believe that everyone will be called by God to date, or court, like Josh does. He emphasises the views of courtship and strictly no dating till he is ready to marry. He also stresses that the family, church, community is very important in forming a decision. While I do agree with him mostly, I dont think everyone has access to the same tight-knit Christian community, not everyone has spiritually compatible parents, there will be different experiences for different ppl.
For me, dating is not wrong. I believe as long as you sincerely put the other person first, you can serve rather than receive. You seek to honour God before all else and love God and love your neighbours and keeping a balance in your life, in commitments to family, church and society. You should set defined boundaries in dating, and keeping physically pure and free from sexual intimacy. 2Cor 6.14 Yoking also comes to mind. Finding someone with the same spiritual maturity and willingness to grow in Christ and putting God above everything else.
I think..even tho, sometimes dating may not work out, you might experience break-ups…you still take away a lot from it and learn from those mistakes that you have made. I dont believe its healthy to oversimplify dating and put a strict set path on it. I believe there is a bit of flexibility as long as God is in the centre of the relationship and you seek God first. Things may not work out..and it may not be your fault. But have faith that God will provide the best for the ones that love Him.
Dating didnt exist in biblical times. Neither did the internet or Maccas..it doesnt mean that they are evil or bad. It just means we should be cautious with how we use them. We should not let them disrupt our Christian walks and not let us be overwhelmed by them or become obsessed.
Good luck to all those waiting on God and all those in healthy biblical relationships. May God bless your lives.
