Boundaries in Dating: How Healthy Choices Grow Healthy Relationships

What is normal? While the Bible is not explicit on the issue of how long a dating relationship should go on, we would suggest that a year, not including the engagement period, is a good minimum. We wouldn’t consider two or three years unrealistic.

Aloneness is to be cured by relationships with God and other people.

Have a full life of spiritual growth, personal growth, vocational growth, altruistic service, hobbies, intellectual growth, and the like. The active, growing life does not have time or inclination to be dependent on a date. The more you have a full life of relationship with God, service to others, and interesting stimulating activities, the less yo

When we don’t have clear limits, we can expose ourselves to unhealthy and destructive influences and people.

Stay integrated morally and don’t get caught in the saint/sinner split. Remember that you’re both good and bad.

You must get to a place where you are happy with your life apart from a dating relationship in order to be happy with one.

Keep dating others until you are sure you want to commit to this one person. Don’t get swept out of the pack too early.

And it is difficult to keep someone out of your heart who has invaded your body.

If you are getting too close, too soon out of loneliness, use it as a signal to get connected with some good, solid, nondat-ing relationships. Deal with loneliness before it backfires on you.