February 2, 2000
FAILY MATTERS:
Wait for the right one to come along
___Where can I find a godly boyfriend? I want a boyfriend who loves the Lord, but I just can't find one anywhere. Even the boys in our church care more about sports than they do about God. What do I do?
DEBBIE CHISOLM
Minister to Students
Royal Lane Baptist Church, Dallas
___Wait! It's the hardest thing in the world to do sometimes, but wait! Don't settle for less.
___Your relationship with God affects all the other relationships in your life. Because of that, you never will be content with someone who doesn't love the Lord as much as you do.
___A common mistake made by many young couples is settling for less in hopes that things will change. Perhaps God will use you to help the person you're dating discover and develop a personal and intimate relationship with the Lord.
___But most of the time, nothing changes.
___I have seen many young men and women become involved with the youth group and active in church, only to quit when the relationship ended. Although there are exceptions, they are definitely in the minority. So don't settle! Wait!
___You can do some things while you're waiting.
___First, make sure you don't have unrealistic expectations. Your relationship with God is uniquely yours. You never will find someone who has exactly the same relationship with the Lord as you do. My husband and I have been married for 21 years, and we still have very different ways of experiencing God. My way is not better, nor is his way more committed. Our ways are just different.
___Second, make sure you understand your happiness doesn't depend on any human relationship. Learning how to enjoy life and be content alone as well as with someone special is very important. Use this time to explore the art of contentment.
___I saw one of my college students at a football game. Like you, she longed for a Christian boyfriend but never found one in high school. She waited, and now she has a boyfriend who on their first date asked her to share her testimony with him.
___She would tell you it was worth the wait!
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