[From the archives.]

We watched a lot of game shows at my house when I was a kid, and one we never missed was The Dating Game.

The show’s format was simple: One person (usually a woman) sat on one side of a wall, trying to choose a date from among three people (identified only as Bachelors 1, 2 and 3) on the other side of the wall sight unseen with only her questions and their answers to guide her choice. One lucky bachelor would then get to take her on a date, all paid for by the show.

It wasn’t as racy as today’s reality romance shows, but it was a hoot.

Dating and the Will of God

I worked in youth ministry for years and saw a lot of kids dating each other. Some of those teen romances even led to marriage, but not most. If the kids ever wondered how to discern the will of God for dating, I’d give them three points:

1. Are you thinking about Jesus or your boyfriend/girlfriend? (Hebrews 12:1-2.)
2. Do the things you want to do together build your relationship with God? (1 Corinthians 10:31.)
3. Are you having any fun? (Psalm 16:11.)

These are simple points, but if some thought goes into them I think kids (and adults) would have fewer questions about whether they are following the Spirit of Christ in their relationships.

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