Where God's Word Meets Our Mess
I’m not going to pretend I’m an expert on dating apps because I’m not. I’m also not going to pretend the Bible addresses dating apps because it doesn’t. For those two reasons, I can’t say concretely that using dating apps is or isn’t wrong. However, I still have lots of thoughts and observations about this topic that will hopefully help guide you in your dating app decisions.
Maybe you’ve never dated anyone either—or you’ve dated very few people—and you’re afraid of doing the whole dating thing “wrong.” Unfortunately, your fears about dating seem to be getting worse, especially as you get older. As a fellow inexperienced dater, I want to share an encouraging truth with you that will hopefully help you conquer your fears about dating.
Seven years ago, I published a post called Are You Ready for a Romantic Relationship? right before Valentine’s Day. In that post, I shared a few indicators that someone might not be ready for a romantic relationship. But honestly, I didn’t focus enough on the most obvious (and significant) indicator that someone isn’t ready for a romantic relationship, so I'll do that in this post. Consider it a very delayed sequel.
Though you’ve tried to avert your gaze from the red flags, you can’t help but see them whenever you’re with your boyfriend. At first, you thought he would recognize his flaws and work on them. But nothing has changed in the past three months. The red flags you saw on your first date are the same red flags you see now. And you’re worried they’ll be part of his life forever.
I recently had a chat with my friend Brittany Braswell—a Registered Dietician and the host of Faith-Filled Food Freedom—about navigating recovery, especially while developing and maintaining relationships. Her name might sound familiar to you because I've been on her podcast in the past (plus I've interviewed her for TTT). I so appreciate Brittany, and I can't wait for you to check out our most recent conversation!
I’m going to be honest with you: I’ve never gone through a breakup, so I don’t know how much it hurts or how long it takes to feel better. But if you’ve broken up with your boyfriend and you regret it, my heart goes out to you. And my hope is that this post will encourage you to keep moving forward instead of turning back.
I was pleased that weddings, marriage, and love were all celebrated in this Hallmark movie. Still, it felt like it was missing something. Honesty, it feels like all Hallmark movies are missing something.
Your boyfriend has never said anything like that before. He’s always respected your physical boundaries. In fact, you were confident he shared your convictions about saving sex for marriage—which is exactly why you don’t know how to respond to his statement. But you're tempted to say yes.
Even though I haven’t dated anyone, I’ve still had several broken hearts. It feels like unrequited love (i.e., falling for someone who doesn’t share my feelings) has been the theme of my single years. I’ve learned that having a formal relationship isn’t a prerequisite for getting a broken heart. Unfortunately, it’s incredibly easy to get one. If you’ve found that to be true too, this post is for you.
Tizzie's Tidbits of Truth 