Six Signs You are Ready to Date!
- Are you Completely satisfied in Christ? If you feel like you need someone of the opposite sex to complete you, you are not ready. If you are seeking someone to make you happy with material things, you are not ready. If you are hoping someone will improve your lifestyle, you are not ready. If you are seeking a mate to occupy your time, you are not ready. You need to be complete in the one that brings real life and truth.
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. John 14:6
- If your heart is open to heartache, you are ready to date. It will happen.The first person you date after the divorce or death of a spouse or the first person you date in your life is not likely to be your forever mate. Finding someone to spend the rest of your entire life, finding someone willing to support you when you lose your job, someone to nurse you through cancer, someone to pitch in when they are too tired to keep their eyes open, someone willing to think outside themselves–it’s just not that easy.
- If you look beyond physical and material attributes, you are ready to date. If the first thing you do when you meet someone is judge their physical appearance, then you are limiting the relationship before the person speaks. When you aren’t willing to seek the heart of a person, you aren’t ready to treasure it.
The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. 1 Samuel 16:7
- Do you have people in your past that you haven’t forgiven? Have you left a trail of people behind you that you need to say “I’m sorry” to? Bringing bitterness into any relationship will show up at the most unexpected times, in the most unwanted ways.
Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. Col. 3:13
- Is the relationship between you and another focused on God’s plan, rather than fun? Is there a clear focus of where God wants to take the two of you in the next few months, few years? Is there support for one another’s goals? Do the goals connect where God begins?
- If you are not willing to lay down your life and change your life for someone else, you are not ready. There’s a common misconception that after marriage things will toodle along just as they were when you dated. Don’t be fooled. Things will change. Bringing two people into one household changes the dynamics of a relationship. And we won’t even talk about adding a child.
All these questions cannot be answered in the span of a few dates. Hopefully, you’re praying for the relationship and looking for God’s direction on whether to continue pursuing the relationship. As you spend more time with a potential mate, have an open heart but be mindful of “red flags.” Don’t brush them aside. Be proactive in obtaining the answers you need to find a lifetime partner.
