Faithfulness Begins Now

Married people are constantly urged to be faithful to their spouses. But what if we, as single high school and college kids, lived today with honor and respect and faithfulness for our future spouses? What if you considered the lasting effect your actions and words might have on not only the people around you, but also on the guy or girl you'll one day marry?

If God has a plan for your life and a purpose for your existence and circumstances, would it not also make sense that he has picked out a girl or guy for you to marry? Listen, the things that happen in life do not happen by chance; God has a plan. A wonderful, perfect, prosperous, giving-you-a-hope-and-a-future plan. Read Jeremiah 29:11. And I believe if that plan includes marriage, it also includes the specific girl or guy.

See, faithfulness begins now. Even before marriage, we are still called to be faithful to our future mate. We are also called to honor and respect the future spouses of our friends and people we know.

To help in this realization, here's some practice advice:

• No matter how you look at it, dating prepares us for marriage. Investing into one guy or girl for a while, then breaking up and jumping straight to the next one illustrates a life pattern of adultery and divorce. I'm not saying you shouldn't date. I'm saying dating should be something considered highly, and not for any random guy or girl who looks good.
• R-E-S-P-E-C-T! :) It's necessary! For example, girls, never wear that super-low cut shirt and show off everything. Be respectful to the guys in your life and don't set up stumbling blocks in their paths. Be mysterious. Guys, both you and the girls in your life should have boundaries and lines clearly drawn. As a guy, you're taking the initiative, but never set foot near that line. Your job is keep the daughter of the King from getting anywhere near the edge of the cliff. And be friendly, not a flirt.
• If you took pictures of everything you did with your friends of both genders to one day show to your grandma, your youth pastor, and your future spouse, would you be embarrassed by the pictures? Go ahead and enjoy friendship and enjoy dating, but keep it clean and honorable.
• Girls, get over this idea that the guy you've been dating for a month is the guy you're going to marry in 4 or 7 years. You don't know what could happen or where God will lead you. So when dating, consider the future wife of your boyfriend. What should you leave for her? Or, what would you like left for you? The book Dateable says, "It will not last." So, with that in mind, do not invest so much into this relationship that obviously will not last. Guys, this applies to you, too. Protect the girls in your life (and the girl you're dating) with the expectation that one day they'll get married - and maybe not to you.
• Finally, ask yourself, "How do I want to be remembered?" When this is over, how will the people I met and did life with remember me?

So go enjoy life! I'm not trying to be a party-pooper. But make sure you've got your head and heart in the right place.