What the Bible says about dating and marriage

God made humans to be spiritual, physical, and sexual beings. He wants us to find lifelong partners, husbands and wives, to love us and help us raise children. But how de we choose the right partner? What does the Bible say about dating and marriage?

Date to get married

When dating, marriage should be your number one priority. Approach dating as carefully as you would approach marriage, and only date when you are ready to find a life partner. Be sure that you are seeing someone who loves and respects you and shares your faith.
If you are dating someone who doesn’t tick all the categories you have set for a good partner, leave that relationship and wait for the person God has planned for you. Just as Eve was created for Adam, God has created someone perfect for you.

What is love?

True love, as it is described in Philippians, is kind, faithful, enduring and hopeful; it is never jealous, self-seeking or conceited, and it never fades (1:9-12). This might sound too good to be true, but love is something that grows and develops over time, deepening, strengthening and enduring as the years go by. Love is more than physical attraction.
When looking for a prospective partner, ask yourself whether they inspire you to be the best person you could ever be. Ask yourself whether the way you feel about them inspires you to the love described in Philippians. If you can see yourself working towards that kind of love with someone, and they share the same commitment, you may have found the right person.

Love grows from friendship

The first step towards finding true love is finding true friendship. Feeling ‘in love’, while it can be wonderful, can be fleeting. In a marriage partner you are looking for more than just physical attraction. You are looking for the same qualities you would find in a best friend. Loyalty, compassion, faithfulness and faith in God should be at the top of your list.
In Genesis 2:24 God said ‘a man shall leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave to his wife; and they shall become one flesh’. Marriage is in God’s plan for you, just as it was for Adam and Eve. Aim for a love that is as faithful and enduring as the love God describes in the Bible.