Christian dating does not disregard your belief. You should not feel that you need to ignore your belief just to impress your date. The right person that you meet would never let you compromise your principles.
Naomi and Joshua are both Christians. They are in their mid-20s. They met on eHarmony after they signed up here.
After dating for a month, they plan to travel together for the first time.
They have already scheduled the trip. But their parents who are staunch Christians fear that they would fall into temptation.
If they travel together, will they dishonor God? Can Christian dating couples travel together? Do they have to stay in separate rooms throughout their trip?
Is It Okay for Christian Dating Couples to Travel Together?
There’s nothing wrong with it. However, the two of you must stay in separate rooms.
Sex outside marriage is now considered normal. However, if you wish to honor God, the two of you must resist the temptation.
Extended time together in private can make the desires very strong. It would lead to sexual activity that you would regret.
You may think that you can control those desires. But they can be deceitful. And sin is deceitful. The desires of the body have power over the mind and your will to think.
In that case, you need to avoid and resist those temptations.
That’s why it is vital to set mutual boundaries.
If you’re like Naomi and Jason, who are both Christians, then you understand why sex is off the table when you’re still dating.
But you still need to discuss the boundaries and mutually agree with them. The more honest you are about them, the easier it will be to maintain them.
On the other hand, you might want to save the joy of this kind of togetherness for marriage.
Or you can ask some of your friends to travel with you. In that way, you won’t be tempted to stay in one room.
Resist the Temptation
When you’re still dating, holding hands or driving in the same car can easily spark some creative ideas and insane feelings.
You may think that you will survive the strong desire. But the best way to defeat the desire for sex is to just get away from it and avoid a compromising situation.
It is better safe than sorry.
Once you’re married, you can enjoy traveling and having fun together. The wait will be truly worth it.
What are the Boundaries in Christian Dating?
Most of the conversations about boundaries in Christian dating are in line with how far is too far. Where do you need to draw the line? What are the things that you can do now? How much should you save for marriage?
Boundaries in Christian dating are set by the couples. That’s why you must write down the emotional and physical boundaries you would want to have to say for marriage.
For instance, the two of you may agree to kiss on the cheek to show affection. But you need to draw the line at make-out sessions.
You should not compare your boundaries to other Christian couples. Instead, you must do what you feel is spiritually right for you.
What Should a Christian Not Do When Dating?
There’s nothing in the Bible that talks about dating. You can’t read people being mentioned in the Bible who dated.
The idea of dating didn’t exist in biblical times. Many cultures are not practicing dating either.
However, the scripture provides a few rules that you can apply to the modern practice of courtship.
In Christian culture, there are various dating rules. However, those rules are not found in the Bible because it doesn’t discuss dating or courtship.
But the rules or assumptions have only been developed over time because of the movements in culture.
Christians are allowed to date. But there’s no guarantee that every Christian will get married.
The priority in every situation must always be the Lord. Often in dating, you become infatuated. You’ll be obsessed with your new partner.
As a result, other vital relationships are taking a back seat. As you put too much focus on your new relationship, your relationship with the Lord can be affected negatively.
To avoid it, you should ensure that the person you are dating is also in love with the Lord.
In that case, it is important to be aware of your partner’s relationship with God. Does your partner desire to love God more than anything in the world?
You should also avoid becoming desperate. If you fall into this trap, you may date anyone because of the pressure to be married just to have sex in the confines of marriage.
That mindset is against the Bible. The Bible states that believers must consider marriage based on legitimate reasons, instead of external pressure.
Remain Pure in Romantic Relationships
The Bible does not provide rules for how you should approach Christian dating. But it does demand you to maintain purity while in romantic relationships.
Those who don’t believe in God will just date anyone or live with the person for a few months and find another partner.
But as a Christian, you want to live your life glorifying Christ. In that case, you must avoid the temptation.
And if you think that you can’t fight the temptation while you travel together, it is best that you just save the trip until you are married.
You are susceptible to the temptation of sexual relationships outside marriage. Instead of going after anything that stimulates youthful lusts, make sure to pursue righteous living, love, and peace.
Christians who are dating must avoid situations of temptation to sin.
As mentioned, the Bible does not talk about how Christians must approach dating. But you need to view dating or courtship differently than those in the world that promote sexual immorality and impurity.
You should place God first in your life and seek to please His in all you do, including dating.
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