Bad Romance?

This week I get the passage that talks about marriage, because I've totally have been there, done that. Yeah, as a 17 year old, this passage doesn't really sing to me. But there are some points that we should take that are pretty important. After the Dating Seminar we had last week, I think that this is a perfect opportunity to touch on some of the topics that the panelists didn't have time to. Well then, put on your goggles and let's dive in!

Read 1 Corinthians 7

Who needs marriage counseling when you've got this? But don't be mistaken, this passage is not focusing on how to treat a spouse, but rather on how to focus on God while married. Nic, one of the panelists, mentioned something about a “Triangle Relationship.” For those who don't know what that is, its simply:
God
^
/ \
/ \
Husband ----- Wife

The marriage between a man and a woman should still look to God, meaning that together husband and wife help each other become closer to God. But let's cross that bridge when it comes. The striking thing from this passage was the idea that marriage is not for everyone. Mainstream media and societal values makes it almost a life necessity to settle down and start a family. But as Ben said, singleness is truly a gift. You are not held back by any obligations, and the only person you share your life with is God. This is not to say that marriage is some kind of curse, only that you should not think that you must marry or that you should, for that matter, because God may have plans for you to be single.

This is still way far to come, so let's talk about something more immediate: High school dating. High school dating is like the lottery: many buy into it, but only very few last past college. Personally, I do not recommend them, but I have learned a lot from the relationships I have been in. More than anything, dating for us teenagers is a means to learn the hard way. Sure, you learn how to treat and socialize with the opposite gender, but you can do that without being intimate. Right now, the only thing that forges two high school kids together is hormones and a desire to be accepted/loved. Admit it, at this point in your life, you have more questions than answers. If you have not truly found your own identity, how can you find it in someone else? I learned with my first girlfriend that a relationship has to be two people giving unconditionally to each other. The problem was that I was the one doing the giving, and nothing was given in return. But then, I realized something. As one who has not truly found his identity, what do I possibly have to offer to a girl? And what does she possibly have to offer me? Now the main problem was that I had to learn that the hard way: through heartbreak. So just as Paul writes this passage because he wants to save you the trouble of learning the hard way yourself, I too, want to spare you the trouble. Take this for thought: because high school relationships are almost guaranteed to end badly, and the consequences will distract you from God, from school, from friends, why do it now when you could just wait a few years and actually have a good chance at a serious, fruitful, Godly relationship? Well, that's my take on it, but it's kind of biased because I've become sort of cynical after the couple failures I've been through. But ask yourself the questions that I have posed, because God wants you to protect yourself.

Thursday: Pray for the church (small c)
Pray for 30 hour famine. That God will prepare the hearts of those participating.