Today’s Focus – DATING:
Gen. 2:18
Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.
Gen.5:2
He created them male and female and blessed them. And he named them “Mankind” when they were created.
1st. Corinth. 7:2
But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband.
Preamble:
Young people all over the world regardless of culture, at least shares one thing in common, the challenge of growing into successful adult. All society have its custom who successfully navigate process to recognise it’s youths as mature and responsible men and women. And one of the way to attain this level In a western world is via dating or courting.
What is dating?
○ The word “dating” comes from the idea of setting a date.
Where two or more people agreed to get together in a certain time and place for recreation and fellowship purpose. Dating or courting is an important vehicle in our culture that allows men and women the opportunity of knowing each other in a socially acceptable and responsible manner.
○ From a sociological stand doing, courting (dating) trends and practices indicates overall societal health beacuse the way people behave while dating often reflect the way they will behave when in marriage. Hence, habits and attitudes established during courting are generally carried over to marriage.
The christian dating or courting should not be casual dating. The kind of dating that leaves your heart broken and shattered. It is not a dating for fun or momentary date for a good time. Christian dating is not a date for sex, or a date to create the impression of being along with friends or impress others.
So, before you step into any relationship, you must be sure that this is the person God wants you to spend your entire life with.
Hosea 4:6
My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge.
“Because you have rejected knowledge,
I also reject you as my priests;
because you have ignored the law of your God,
I also will ignore your children.
As important as the experience is to marriage, the questions still remain in the minds of parent and young people as to,
▪ what exactly is dating?
▪ What is its purpose of dating?
▪ When is a person ready to date?
▪ What guidelines are appropriate for dating?
Hence, understanding dating is important not only for tenagers but also for older newly single people, who as a result of divorce or death of a partner, are re-entering dating scene.
So, one of the most common questions parent and young people are often confronted with is “How old should a person be before dating? The answer to this question is not so simple as you may think. Why? Because it is not “a one answer for all situation”. Is it not a one answer fit all cupture and customs. This means that the question of when a person is ready to date is very subjective, depending on parental disposition and the person’s mental development level.
Adolescents mature at different rates and research shows that girls mature faster than boys do. Some Tenage maybe ready to date at 16 while others at 18 and even older for some others.
■ But what is the biblical age requirement?
…to be continued
