Online dating for Christians
The pros and cons of looking for a relationship on the internet.
Do you know anyone who met their current spouse or boyfriend/girlfriend on an online dating site?
There are over 2,500 dating sites in the United States alone. According to the findings published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Journal, the percentage of married couples that married between 2005 and 2012 that met online is at almost 35%. The majority of these sites are geared towards adults, but a few target teenagers.
With the popularity of online dating, the question becomes: is online dating OK for Christians?
To answer this question, we’ll split it into two sections, teenagers and adults.
Online dating for Christian teenagers
The focus of your teenage years, especially for Christian teens, should be discovering who you are and the gifts and talents God has given you. If you put all of your focus into finding and maintaining a relationship, you are missing out on valuable self-discovery.
If you have the desire to join a teen dating site, there’s a good chance that your focus is on finding a romantic relationship, not strengthening your gifts. If you find yourself at this point, ask, “What am I making the focus of my life? A relationship or discovering what God has called me to be?”
So, if you want to have a go at online dating, I'd suggest waiting until you're a bit older.
Online Dating for Christian adults
Most dating sites are geared towards adults and some are specifically geared towards Christians, most notably ChristianMingle.com. A site such as this can make it a little easier to find someone with Christian values and belief system.
Online dating is appealing to adults because it can be much harder to meet a Christian as one gets older. In most churches the 18-30 age group is the most underrepresented, so it can be hard to find someone to date. It also becomes increasingly more difficult to have the time to socialize between work and other adult responsibilities.
Online dating can also save an adult time because much of the information you want to know is represented in a profile. You don’t have to date someone for two months only to find out something you don’t desire in a future spouse and start the process over again.
Once you become an adult, preferably over the age of 20, online dating can be OK as long as a romantic relationship is not obsessed over or becomes the focus of your life. Remember Hebrews 12:1-2 (NIV), “…And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.” Be sure your focus remains on Jesus and God’s plan for your life.
Always be safe and aware when online dating
Although dating sites definitely have appeal, it’s always important to remember that people can choose to be whoever they want online.
You don’t have to search Google long to discover countless stories of people who dated online, only to be lied to and devastated when a person revealed they weren’t who the said they were.
If you are an adult and ever decide to meet a person face to face that you met online, remember basic safety rules, such as, never meeting with them in a private place and always telling a trusted friend of your plans so they can check in on you.
So how do you feel about online dating for Christians? Let us know in the comments below!
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