I am just as guilty as anyone else when it comes to repeating dating habits. Granted, Few friends observe my relationship with the opposite sex and think its cool (No misunderstanding), but I am quick to tell people I am flawed. Yeah, I have Godly gifts, wisdom, knowledge and discernment…. but I mess up sometimes as well. The key is we have to learn from our mistakes and work hard to not repeat things that hurt or hinder our growth or relationship.

Here are 5 bad dating habits we all need to work on:

1.) Having most of your conversations through texting.
I know it’s convenient to text and texting does have a place, but make talking on the phone a greater priority than texting. Texting is impersonal and it just opens the door for a tone of miscommunication. I think most of us have had a texting conversation go wrong. Can you think of a time when you misinterpreted the tone or intent of a message? It happened to me just recently! So, let’s actually talk more than text.

2.) Posting your business and subliminal messages on social media -
I see this all the time on social media and I know it’s tough for some people to avoid doing this. Often we get caught up in the emotions of the moment and we just write without thinking. Whatever you feel should be expressed privately to your partner and not broadcast over your social media channels. Communication is so important to a relationship and communicating through social media is not a healthy medium for speaking to your partner.

3.) Failure to clearly define the relationship -
How many times have you had to ask, “What are we?” The answer, or lack of an answer, to this question will tell you something about your relationship. Refuse to be in a relationship or situation where things are unclear and not defined. Adults should be able to openly and honestly state what they desire in a relationship. Don’t allow anyone to mislead or use you for something they desire from you, but they are unwilling to commit to a relationship.

4.) Mixing sex with love -
Sex is not love and love is not sex. Not understanding this is contributing to your heart being broken and believing the false promises that people will make to you. Yes, sex is an emotional thing for most women and for some men. However, you can’t continue to abuse yourself with the false emotions sex will bring. Stop equating sex with love. Sex is for marriage for a reason and we often fail to understand the problems sex before marriage can cause us.

5.) Failing to accept people for who they are. When entering into a dating situation leading to courtship, you are choosing to be with all of their prior actions and behaviors. If you can’t accept that, you are not loving unconditionally. If something about their past bothers you, deal with it in that moment and not down the road. The best relationships will always have vulnerability, honesty, God, and love as their foundation.

Now, The question you should be asking yourself is this: What can you do better concerning your dating habits?

Nice piece, However, after going through it, it brings me to several questions we ought to ask ourselves ever so often: Why should I get married? How will marriage change me? Does being married change the public's perception of me? You know, all the
usual questions.

@OP
NONSENSE NONSENSE NONSENSE!!!!

donogaga: 1. Marriage will not change your personality.
Marriage will not change your personality because marriage is not really a change agent. Change begins from within and not from without. That you now have a man or woman beside you and wedding ring on your finger does not change anything about you, really. Once you notice that you have some negative personality tendencies, start working on them right away and don’t wait to be married.

If you are a sanguine before marriage, you will simply become a married sanguine. For ladies, your saw-name changes but your personality remains the same until you consciously start working on yourself.

2. Marriage will not reduce the pressures you face.
Marriage brings more pressures. It gets you busier. A good friend of mine once said "As a single, I had so much time to pray, especially long hours of praying in the Spirit. If I needed to pray for a long stretch of time, now as married man and a father, I have to disappear somewhere to do that.

You can be praying in your study, and you are so much lost in God’s glory, in fact you are in the third heavens, with Shekinah glory all over you in your study, and then, your little boy or girl knocks furiously on the door saying, “Daddy, I want Biscuits!” Trust me, you will need to come down from the third heavens back to the earth and hand that Biscuits to her, so that she would not grow to hate your God that is taking Daddy away!

As single, you have all the time in the world now. Use it, because it will never get freer!

3. Marriage will not make you more spiritual.
Marriage will not make you more spiritual. In fact, it will make you carnal some of the time! Before you were married, your waking moments were gladly and powerfully given to God, but now your spouse complains that you cannot even give a good morning kiss before getting up from bed! There you go!

Before, all the worship is unto God, but now it some for God, some for your wife! After you are through with “God I worship you, I bless you, I honour you” and so on, then you resume the part two which are ‘Dear, I love you, you are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen, you are this and that!’ And trust me, it is something you have to do, because the scripture advises that you love, embrace and let her thoughts fill your heart! So the real deal is creating a balance and to make sure one does not suffer for another.

But in all of that, the couple should learn to give God the first place in their lives. When they do that, God will help them and teach them by His Spirit how to make the marriage work better.

4. Marriage will not bring joy
Marriage will not bring joy. It can bring happiness, which is temporary. The only guaranteed factor that brings joy is the word of God. So, both of you should fill your hearts with the word of God. Apart from all the chocolates and delicacies, you should also learn to “eat” God’s word regularly.

Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O Lord God of hosts (Jeremiah 15:16 KJV)

That way, joy is guaranteed, even in the midst of contradictory situations. The reason joy is so important is because it is your strength. You need that strength in marriage. Depression weakens you. But the joy of the Lord brings strength!
…for the joy of the Lord is your strength. (Nehemiah 8:10b KJV)

marriage will not stop you from writing nonsense