Dating Pt. 1

So this is a 2 part blog! The funny thing is that I have already written part 2! I know I'm crazy, but I came to the realization that some questions needed to be answered before I jumped into what some would call the good stuff! Get ready for the Journey of Christian Dating! So, Here we go! WEEEEeeeeeeeee! Okay, I was acting like we were going down a slide if you didn't catch that!
What is dating? Dating looks different for everyone! Seriously, it does. For some dating is seeing one person exclusively. The two of them hang out and live most aspects of their lives together. Other types of dating are when once person just goes on dates with different people each weekend and are not committing themselves to a significant other. In middle school you hold hands, write notes, and walk through the halls together. You get asked out by a note, through facebook, or a text. You will probably meet each other at birthday parties and try to stay close, most of the time you are not allowed to go places together. If you are *lucky* your parents will let them come over and watch a movie or take you to the mall.

In High School the dating game changes. Instead of not being able to actually go places together, every Friday night or Saturday you are hanging out. You might go to football games, the movies, concerts, bowling, dances, or out to eat.  Normally, it's just dinner and a movie! Prom is always a huge deal for people who date in high school. For girls, you guys want a person you can spend the rest of your lives with. Guys, on the other hand, normally live in the moment and are not looking towards the future. Do you see a difference here between guys and girls in this stage?

In college dating changes again. Everyone is thinking about marriage. When dating in college there are new rules. No parents are around to make sure the dating is appropriate and good choices are made. The couple can spend every waking and sleeping moment together, if they choose.* I say that hanging out at the BCM and in the library studying plus some hang out time is great, but you should try HARD not to be alone together for too long.

So what's the big deal with dating? Dating should be a time when you can focus on learning to grow with another person. Here's the deal though, to have a good relationship no matter how old you are you need to keep God the focus of your relationship!

What the Bible says about dating? Well in times of the Bible they didn't have dating... Your parents would pick out your mate and you would marry them. We can glean from some verses though. 

2 Timothy 2:22 says "Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart." 2 Corinthians 6:14-15 "Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?

** I disagree with this!