Dating vs Courtship

A couple of weeks ago, the sermons at church were about Dating, Courtship and Marriage.

Dating is the world’s stand point. It involves cultivating an interest in another person to meet personal needs or desires. “Daters” often give in to fleshly inclinations – immorality. It’s usually for self gain not genuine love. The two people usually draw attention to each other and leave little room to hear God’s voice. Such relationships lead to idolatry; expecting from man what only God can give you (for example depending on a partner for happiness). More often than not, dating leads to heart break which is not what God intended.

Courtship on the other hand, is when a man and woman establish a relationship based on agreed boundaries to protect moral and individual integrity while intentionally considering marriage. There is purity in thought and in body which leads to a clear conscience and clear mind knowing you are doing things His way. 1 Timothy 5:1-2 says: “Never speak harshly to an older man, but appeal to him respectfully as you would to your own father. Talk to younger men as you would to your own brothers. Treat older women as you would your mother, and treat younger women with all purity as you would your own sisters.”

In the final installment of the Dating, Courtship, Marriage series an illustration was made:

It was a man and woman’s wedding day. He was at the altar waiting as she walked down the aisle. When she got to the altar, they started saying their vows, and as they progressed with their vows, one by one all the women (EXs) from the groom’s life started lining up behind him, almost as if they were all still “attached” to him. Not a single man was behind the bride (she had probably kept herself pure and waited for the right man). A rose was passed from the first girl down to the last one and as it was passed from one girl to the next, each girl broke off a few petals. By the time the rose got to his wife-to-be all that was left were a few miserable petals (signifying what remained of his heart). Those are some of the Spiritual consequences of dating – soul ties.

Whenever you date somebody, a part of you remains in them, and a part of them in you. Be careful who you leave bits of you with and who had bits of your heart in them!