Think about it

I was talking to a friend of mine on Facebook yesterday that I don't talk to that often because I don't get the chance to see him a lot at church. Somehow, the topic of conversation turned to dating and relationships, and he brought up a point that I feel is so important for everyone, myself included, to remember:

Girls, if the guy you are dating is not your future husband, he is someone else's. Treat him as such. You don't know if you will marry your boyfriend or not, which means always treat him as if he is someone else's future husband. Guys, if any are reading, the same applies for you. If the girl you are dating is not your future wife, she is someone else's. Treat her as such. You don't know if you will marry your girlfriend or not, which means always treat her as if she is someone else's future wife.

Have I messed up in this aspect? Sure. Have others messed up with me in this aspect? Sure. But it hurts terribly, and you don't want to be caught up in that sort of mess. It's better to be held blameless in this account than to know that you have hurt people or have been hurt. Thankfully, though, God forgives us all because of Jesus Christ's sacrifice!! Which for me, and for some of you, means that we can try again to keep ourselves and others safe.

How would you want someone else to treat your future spouse? You would be angry if you learned that someone had hurt your husband/wife, right? Don't be that person who does the hurting. Don't be the person who goes too far. Set boundaries early in your relationships so that you can prevent a mess.

For further reading, I suggest reading Pure Excitement by Joe White.