Christian Dating in a Secular World

Juliet Klee

The dating world can be an unsettling place for those hoping to hold on to strong Christian convictions. When you find someone that sparks your interests you may find that dating while living according to your faith and beliefs takes a little work. It can be done though and here are a few ways to hold on to your Christian faith while dating today.

Find a Potential Mate to Date Who Shares Your Faith

This goes deeper than shared religion. You need to be dating only someone who shares your level of commitment to your faith in Christ. Someone who has similar goals and ideals when it comes to family, worship, and commitment to Christ is going to be a better match for you and will be more understanding of your desire to live and act according to your beliefs

Discuss Limits, Expectations, and Wishes with Each Other

As your Christian dating relationship progresses there will come a time when you will both need to sit down together and discuss your limits, your desires, and your goals regarding intimacy and the physical nature of your ongoing dating relationship. You would be surprised at how many dating-and married--couples are supposed to love each other deeply but know very little about the hopes and dreams of their partners.

Open communication is the key to any successful dating relationship but is very important when you are attempting to live and date above the ways of the world. When you have a Christ-centered relationship you will still face the same temptations that other dating-couples experience. The difference is that you will be in a much better position to resist temptation if you are in agreement on firm dating boundaries.

Pray Together As a Christian Singles Couple

There is a wise old saying: "The family that prays together, stays together." This is also true for couples, whether dating or already married. Praying together solidifies your union, strengthens your commitments to one another, and affirms your collective commitment to God. Any recipe for relationship success when it comes to Christian dating relationships must include God as an integral part of the relationship. Keep in mind that long hours of praying alone together can usher in physical temptation. So keep your prayers together short and in a semi-public place for the sake of dating purity before marriage.

Worship Together As a Christian Singles Couple

Make one of your regular dates attending church services together. Participate in Bible study groups together. Build a relationship jointly within the safety net of your Christian faith. As you become more committed to one another and to God you can expand your dating experiences to more secular activities if you would like but there is nothing wrong with keeping a Christ-centered relationship as your primary focus. After all, a Christian dating relationship is like a triangle with God at the top and the man and woman at each corner of the base, the closer a man and woman get to God, the closer they get to each other as they move up the triangle.

Surround Yourselves With Positive Christian Couples

There is very little that can compare to fellowship with other Christian couples who share your commitment to Christ when it comes to helping you stand your moral ground while dating. There are many temptations that you will face as a Christian couple dating in today's world, a fallen world that views dating and morality far differently than Christians do.

The secular world in which we live may not be ideally suited for Christian dating but it is still possible to hold true to Christian ideals and set yourself apart from worldlier dating practices. Become beacons of life for one another and reflect your commitment to Christ by your dating deeds as well as your words.

God Is The Best Matchmaker or Dating Service There Is When It Comes to Bringing Two Christian Singles Together

Maybe you have not yet met the one that God wants you to marry. Do not allow anxiety or desperation to put you into a dating pressure cooker. Relax and trust God to bring dating success as you mature in Christ. Enjoy every stage of your Christian life. If single, enjoy singleness, keeping in mind that someday you will probably have far less free time with a spouse and possibly kids to love and care for.

If you have not tried online Christian dating, let our detailed reviews of Christian dating sites help you find the top Christian dating service that is just right for you. Visit http://www.MeetChristianSingles.com today for more advice on Christian dating for Christian singles who want to honor and please Jesus Christ in their dating relationships!

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Masturbation - A Christian's Perspective

Masturbation - A Christian's Perspective
By Elvis Yeboah-Asuamah

A personal search through the Bible for a single reading on my topic-masturbation; I must say was a bit disappointing since I found none to my surprise. To me, I think the Bible's silence on the topic is a bit odd since it goes a long way to speak plainly on other sexual matters such as fornication, adultery and even sex with animals. Christ, in one of His teachings went beyond 'fleshly adultery' and pointed out adultery of the heart. (Matt. 5:28). Many Christians of today in an attempt to justify masturbation as a sin go as far as comparing it to 'Onanism'; as seen in Gen. 38:9. In actual fact, most people prefer to call masturbation 'onanism'. But then, Onan's behavior was a clear act of malice and cheating on Tamar; moreover, his actions cannot be said as masturbating.

Masturbation refers to the sexual stimulation of one's own genitals with the intent of achieving orgasm. This stimulation is mainly performed manually, or by the use of bodily contact short of intercourse, through the use of objects or a combination of these. Main types include self masturbation, mutual masturbation and animal masturbation. It is closely related to sexual fantasies and they move hand in hand. Ethically, some people see it as a sin which far out ways fornication, adultery or even rape.

This is a universal issue which occurs in all circles of life. Nearly all adolescents masturbate and even married men and women practice it. James McCary, author of Human Sexuality has found that about 95% of men and between 50 and 90% of women masturbate. I must however; point out that it is very acute for Christian singles, who out of their Christian values and convictions have said NO TO SEX outside of marriage.

The question now remains- 'Is masturbation a morally accepted activity for a disciple of Christ or is it a gift from God to help avoid sexual promiscuity?' Most medical experts are of the view that the practice is safe and not harmful when done with restriction. It is viewed in many mental health circles as a means of relieving depression, stress and subsequently leads to a higher self-worth. It is also helpful in relationships where one partner wants more sex than the other; providing an alternative to sex and eventually leading to more stabilized relationships. In reproductive health, it may be viewed as a means of increasing fertility during intercourse. Female masturbation alters conditions in the vagina, uterus and cervix, in ways that can alter or increase chances of conception but this however, depends on the timing of the masturbation. In males, masturbation brings out old sperms with low motility from the genital tract making way for fresh sperms with higher chances of conception in the next ejaculate. Lastly, some couples find it as means to developing their full sexual potentials; identification of more sensitive parts of their bodies.

Some main concerns about masturbation is its close connection with sexual fantasies which in most instances lead to most sexual perversions; pornography, rape and the like. Also, is the issue of the 'singularity' of masturbation. It is true that it can bring some sort of satisfaction though; orgasm, but it should however be mentioned that this forms only a small part of the larger whole of sexual intercourse therefore making it a selfish act. This could lead to very serious consequences of obsession, guilt, self-hatred and idolatry in the long run.

The silence of the church on this issue is not helping Christians at all neither is its counsel of repression. Desperate as most Christians are, they try to suppress their sexual feelings and be free from all the guilt and disappointment that comes with it. The onus therefore lies on the church to explicitly discuss this topic and help its congregation to make the right choices. Masturbation is a real part of the human sexual life pattern and cannot be completely swept under the carpet or eliminated, but disciplined; with emphasis on the discipline. This is a very difficult problem for most people and I must emphasize that divine help from the Holy Spirit will do us a great deal of good in helping to control it entirely.

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Why Christians Need Dating in their Lives

Author: Francis K. Githinji

There are no persons who are in need of dating like Christians.
There are many things which affect the Christian dating scene and they need to be aware of it just incase. You have to make sure that the needs of your heart as a Christian are tendered hand in hand with the needs of your spiritual part of your heart. There are so many advantages to dating that you should not forget just like that because it makes all the difference in life.

Life has it that you need to open your eyes to the things which make you who you are. As you increase your relationship with the lord Jesus Christ, it is also worth it and very crucial if you also make sure that the relationship with your spouse or a boyfriend is also changed and strengthened. Christian dating might be overtly delicate but the way it takes place should be a reminder to a person to make sure that all things have been heading towards the right direction. It is so important to make your relationship with your spouse work since it is the place you draw the strength you need to make your relationship with Christ to make sense.

It is very important to remember that it is only in dating where you can really know how your spouse or mate usually behaves so that at the end of the day you will not be in a hard place love wise. In Christian dating, it does not make any sense to have yourself thinking that since you might not be married with your boy or girlfriend, you will be making a mistake when you decide to meet for dating purposes. You should not have thoughts like these since you know what you want and dating doesn’t have to be secluded. There are many ways of dating which do not include you having sex after the dating experience. You need to open your mind and see where exactly your life is headed so that by the end of the day everything will be looking up and you will be having many things to celebrate.

Christian dating is amicable and you will find that you are able to increase your knowledge of God as you strengthen your ties with Christ and make your dating relationship work. It is killing two birds with one stone and enjoying what life has to offer. There are many things which make life what it is and the best of them is what exactly makes you to find the desired strength and love for one. You need to make things to excel as you want and it is the reason which makes you to be what you are today. Let your religion give you strength as you let Christian dating to make your love and relationship issues make you to be whole in your dating relationship. It is what makes you to live everyday with confidence and have something to live for.

About the author:
Francis K. Githinji Is An Online Dating Expert. His Latest ProjectFree Online Dating Service Shows How The Power Of Online Dating Can Be Harnessed Internationally and With Great Success, Or You Could Post Your Valued Comments On His Blog At Christian Dating