Christian Singles & Dating
My twenties, which are quickly coming to a close, have christian filled with wonderful friendships with women my age and many who are a few years — okay, ten years — younger than me. Our conversations cover all aspects of life, but few topics rise to the surface more than concerns about the different levels of physical intimacy in relationships. Many of these discussions start off with, "I know sex is off christian table, but what can I do? This spectrum ranges from no hand-holding to no sex, although I've talked with women who didn't even set that as a boundary.
I think we can all agree that the Bible is clear on waiting until marriage to have sex.
It’s Just a Kiss, Right? A Closer Look at Christian Dating
Numerous verses discuss sex in the context of marriage and the idea of sexual sin. You barely make it into the second chapter of the Bible before sex comes up. When viewed by people outside the Christian faithGod has gotten a bad rap as a restrictive wet please click for source stripping away all things fun.
When we view the command to hold sex within the context of marriage through the lens of God as a loving Father, however, kissing realize that these rules are in place to protect us. My friends who had sex before marriage experienced more broken hearts and shaken identities along the way. Sex creates this unique vulnerability with a person that can absolutely shatter you when that relationship ends. God is trying to protect the hearts of his children with his rule of saving sex for marriage.
If we take that same heart-protection logic and look at other physical lines, where we should draw the line begins to become clearer. Never let someone tell you otherwise.
Is Kissing a Sin
You have the opportunity to start fresh with each new relationship. You even have the opportunity to start fresh in your current relationship. You always have the chance to change the trajectory of your relationship. Here are five practical ways you can set yourself up for success.
Read your Bible and pray specifically on this issue. Once you know your limits, pray for the Holy Spirit to learn more here your resolve because, real talk, it's sometimes hard to stick to those boundaries.
And man, she had a lot fewer instances of marriage -thoughts-at-first-sight than I did! This also applies to hand-holding, hugging, or having sex. Think long and hard about what your boundaries are and have a discussion with your significant other early in the relationship.
I cannot stress this enough: do not just assume that you are both on go here same page just because you are both Christian. Clearly communicating on this issue can "dating" miscommunication and help dating you against temptation. End of discussion. Find a person who you feel has done dating well or has gained wisdom from past mistakes and a person you feel comfortable being completely honest with.
The other is to double up with your significant other and have an accountability couple. The benefit to kissing is that you can meet as a couple or individually with your article source counterparts as your relationship develops. The same reasoning can be applied to cuddling up on a couch with christian friends and not your significant other or giving your parents a peck on the lips without even giving your girlfriend a kiss on the check.
What the Bible Says
Even if you're kissing light-years away from the premarital-sex line, you need to address this mistake. This is a decision that needs to be made out of the heat of the moment, mutually agreed upon, and ideally discussed with your accountability partners. Moving boundaries, no matter their strictness, should dating be taken lightly. Lindsey Brady is a wife and stepmother who loves to spend time in nature or go for long runs. When she's feeling a bit more sedentary, she'll watch an entire season of any Food Network show in a single sitting.
You can follow her on Instagram at real.
