In “Is Dating Biblical?” we discuss some of the unbiblical reasons that a person may be dating. Despite the negative reasons that a person may be dating, there is a biblical purpose behind it.
The main purpose of dating is to find a person that we’re compatible with and to marry them. This may seem too simple but the concept is lost on many people.
In a perfect world where everyone followed the will of God, compatibility wouldn’t be an issue. Disagreements would be settled civilly and husbands and wives would love each other unconditionally. It wouldn’t matter if spouses had different opinions because they would seek peace and compromise.
Unfortunately we live in a sinful world and differences in personality mean a lot about compatibility. Because of this we need to know if the man or woman we’re dating is “the one.”
Dating should be used to get to know a person and to determine if you can spend your lifetime with that person. If you already know that the answer is no because you disagree on religion or how to raise a family, end the relationship. Dating a person who is not spouse material will lead down one of two roads. It either prolongs a relationship that isn’t meant to be and causes a breakup to be more hurtful because of all the time spent together. Or it will end in marriage because everyone expects it after a long enough period of time and you will overlook the problems that have existed in the relationship all along. Those problems will become amplified in marriage.
Dating should be fun and relaxed but it has a serious side to it as well. If you’re serious about finding the right person, ask that God would eliminate the wrong people for you. The reason for this is simple. Every person you meet and are interested in is going to have good qualities that you’ll focus on. In the first weeks or months all you’ll notice is the good qualities and think that this is the perfect person for you. And so will the next person and the next person. If you ask God for wisdom, He will show you the qualities that you don’t want in a spouse and you will know a person isn’t for you. Unfortunately it is much easier to spot those who aren’t meant for you than the one who is. The sooner you stop dating a person who isn’t meant for you, the sooner you can move on to the right person for you however.