There are no specific scriptures on dating. Nowhere in the Bible does it say, "Thou shalt not hold hands with Jim-Bob," or, "Thou shalt enjoy Sarah-Anne's company every Saturday afternoon."
It does, however, provide practical guidelines on how unmarried believers should conduct themselves.
Physical attraction is not a bad thing. In most cases, unless you know something about the person already, it's all you have to go on. It will probably be the first thing that gets your attention.
However, you can't allow a physical attraction to develop into a sinful state, and you can enver allow it be the foundation of the relationship.
I can say from years of experience that you can be very attracted to someone and still remain sexually pure. But in order to do that, you must set boundaries and keep them at all costs!
Creflo and I dated for three years and never became sexually involved. We were determined to walk in the Spirit and not fulfill the lusts of the flesh. Yes, we were very attracted to each other.
But we based our relationship on the Word of God, and did not allow ourselves to get caught in compromising situations. We set boundaries and in dong so, we respected and honored one another's body.
For example, there were ways we knew we could kiss, and ways we couldn't! We knew our limitations, and we worked hard to honor them because we respected and cherished one another. In doing so, it made our honeymoon even sweeter. It established a trust between us that nothing can shake.
Let me give you a vital point that will save you a lot of heartache. Because dating is the process by which a couple builds a relationship, Christians should only date someone they believe is a suitable candidate for marriage.
This will avoid playing the dating game by beginning and ending relationships every two or three months.
If you try to date someone new with the intention of having fun now and breaking it off later, this practice only prepares you for divorce. You get so used to starting over with someone new that it becomes a part of your mentality, and at the first sign of trouble n your marriage, you will want to head for divorce court.
Another point to consider is that dating takes up a lot of your time—it represents an investment of time and energy. Unless you are considering that person as a possible life partner, you could be wasting valuable time that would be better spent cultivating the things of God.
Being single is a gift. It is your time to develop yourself as an individual and discover your purpose in Christ. Married couples are often distracted because they have to focus their attention on overcomes daily challenges and meeting the demands of family members.
Single people, however, have an opportunity to maximize their relationship with the Father and accomplish all the things they dream of.
As a result of spending time with God, you will receive direction and guidance. You will be able to recognize His voice so that you can be a blessing to the person who comes into your life.
You won't bring to the relationship a lot of emotional baggage, debt, strife, unforgiveness or other negative influences.
As a result, God makes a presentation to you and you've made the choice for a mate, you will have a beautiful, healthy and whole relationship. Therefore, don't waste valuable time on something temporary or settle for second best when you're looking for a life-long commitment.
Excerpt permission granted by Creflo Dollar Ministries
Taffi Dollar is a celebrated author, teacher, and well-known conference speaker. Together with her husband, Creflo Dollar, she pastors more than 30,000 active members at World Changers Church International, World Changers Church-New York, as well as a host of fellowship churches throughout the U.S. and internationally.
