Are You Even Ready?

Introduction

Starting a new series called Relationship Goals. Dating—or the desire to date—is a big part of virtually everyones life. And whether you realize it or not, the way you date today can impact your relationships down the road. In this series, you will be introduced to some of the most important things you can do today—whether your currently dating someone or not—that can make your life and relationships better in the future.

Because we were created to be in relationships. You and I were not created to be alone but instead with people. Gen 2:18

Genesis 2:18 ESV

Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.”

Tension

Marriage, dating, or friendships we all have these ideas of what those will look like. Maybe you get those from your parents. They have good relationship and its something you want. You see a group of people on line and wish you had a group of friends like them.

Whether dating is on your radar or not, we all strive for someone to say to us one day “Relationship Goals”!

Now what tends to happen is we look at the first girl that gives us the time of day and chase after her! You want to be in a relationship because everyone else has a boyfriend. So you rush into one. Or your best friend said you two look great for each other. What happens is you give that person a lot of yourself. Time, energy, money! You want to know something, I once said I was going to marry my high school sweetheart. Thank the Lord because he had better plans for me. Heres a crazy stat for high school sweethearts. 2% of High School sweethearts get married.

I don’t want tonight to be a lesson over shame of dating. It has its perks of you know what you like in a person. But there is a season for everything, especially dating.

Bible Reading

Becoming the right person is GREATER than finding the right person.

Proverbs 24:27 NLT

27 Do your planning and prepare your fields before building your house.

Middle School and High School is preparing you for life. Using this time instead of trying to find your husband or wife, start pursuing Jesus and the plan He has for you. How do we plan and prepare for dating?

Pursue Christ whole heartedly.

If you don’t pursue Christ with all your heart, all other relationships will be a failed attempt to fill that void.

Mark 12:30 ESV

30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’

Gods desires become your desires. He changes our hearts when we delight in Him.

Psalm 37:4 ESV

4 Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

When you are lined up with Gods plan in your life, then God will place in your life the person God has planned for you. Until then:

Prepare your character.

Character is one of the most important things. How you treat people tells me a lot about you. If you say i love her/him. I want you to read this and tell me if you truly do “love”.

1 Corinthians 13:4–7 NIV

4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

This is a key to Gods design for relationships. Are you able to protect and honor boundaries that others have set in place? Do you have self-control in not seeking your own pleasure? Are you humble?

You can prepare your character starting now. Letting the Holy Spirit work in your life and letting the fruit blossom in your heart, overflowing.

Above all this is my heart behind dating.

Quit stressing out over your relationship status, and start focusing on living out God’s mission.

1 Corinthians 7:32 NIV

32 I would like you to be free from concern. An unmarried man is concerned about the Lord’s affairs—how he can please the Lord.

LeBron James usually does a social media blackout during the NBA playoffs. He tunes out as many distractions as possible to focus on the mission of winning a championship. In this passage, Paul instructs believers to quit stressing out about their relationship status and focus on the mission of God instead.

To be a right person, you need to be right with the Lord. We are all sinners. Broken people. Enemies of God. But Jesus came down to save us! Through his death and resurrection we can be made right in Gods eyes. If you confess and believe that Jesus is Lord, then you will be saved.

You who have made that step, where are you in your relationship with him? Are you sharing the message of Jesus and living on mission or pursuing earthly relationships? Don’t waste this time that you have in the single season on trying to find that boyfriend or girlfriend. Instead pursue your relationship with Jesus.

Conclusion