An ideal relationship is not only romantic and Instagram-worthy. It should motivate the couple to be holistically better and productive. Also, it must be founded on commitment, respect, trust, and true love.
Putting God at the center can help a lot in keeping a relationship healthy, strong, and harmonious. It is a good foundation that is worth the effort and time.
Do you want to make sure that your relationship has God as its center? You can check out these 20 signs to see if your relationship is on the right track from a Christian’s point of view:
1. Brings you closer to God
If you feel that you have drawn closer to God since you started going out together, then it could mean that this relationship began right and it influences you positively.
2. God first
Both of you have committed that if there is a conflict of schedules involving church ministry or personal time with God and your time together, then you will choose the former because you want to put God first before anything else. (Matthew 6:33)
3. Going to church together
One of the simplest signs that show a couple has God at the center is when they make time to go to church together. Before they watch a movie or go for a dinner date, they make sure to include church time in their date plan.
4. Honoring your parents
You both believe that you need to respect your parents as a way of honoring the authorities God has set above you. Therefore, you strive to keep a good relationship with each others’ parents. (Ephesians 6:2)
5. Praying together as a couple
This is not a very common setup since prayer is usually done individually. However, if a couple makes a schedule to pray together faithfully, then that means they really value spirituality.
6. Committed to pray for each other
This shows that you rely on God to protect and care for each other. You both admit that you need the strength of God to keep you going as individual and, of course, in your relationship.
7. Studying the Word of God together
It is either you have a regular devotion time together or you involve in a Bible study group that helps you grow more in your understanding of the Word of God.
8. Encouraging each other to have personal quality time with God
You both understand the importance of having a personal relationship with God for the holistic growth of a person, that is why you follow up on how your partner is doing when it comes to his/her individual prayer life and Bible meditation. (Joshua 1:8)
9. Serving God together
Both of you delight in serving the Lord. You involve yourselves in the church or spiritual organizations that do not just allow you to use your talents and abilities to serve God but even people too.
10. Not tolerating wrongdoings
Whenever one of you does something wrong, you rebuke your partner—gently—and encourage him/her to stop doing it and do what is right instead. As the scripture says, love does not rejoice in mistakes but in the truth. (1 Corinthians 13:6)
11. Treating each other with purity.
You avoid impure and unwholesome talks even in private conversations because you are aware that it could trigger sensual temptations. You also choose to wear clothes that are not revealing whenever you are together for the same reason. (Matthew5:28)
12. Avoiding being alone together in dark and private places
This is part of your commitment to keeping each other pure. As mature individuals, you know such places can tempt you to go physical with each other. For this reason, you date in public places and when going to a dark place like the cinema, or you need to go to your partner’s house or your partner to yours, you see to it that there is a chaperone.
13. Preserving each other ‘til marriage
Regardless you have prior sexual experiences or not, you commit to making your current relationship free from physical intimacy until you get married. You understand and respect that sexual relationships outside marriage is considered impure by God. (Ephesians 5:3)
14. Giving godly advice when one is down
If your partner is discouraged, you encourage him/her with Bible verses, give pieces of advice that are according to God’s will, and remind him/her of God’s promises. You understand that this is better rather than inviting your partner to wallow in alcohol or joining him/her in complaining about the situation.
15. Seeking advice from spiritually-mature people
You do not confide heartaches with just any friends. Instead, you choose the people whom you share your problems with—those you know can give you godly and mature wisdom. You want solutions that are not only effective but are according to God’s will because you know they are the best for you.
16. Forgiving towards each other
You treat your partner with grace just as how Jesus treats you despite your many failures. You are willing to forgive him/her no matter how many times s/he hurts you because God does not get tired of forgiving you too. (Matthew18:21-22)
In case of conflicts that are unresolvable like due to continuous cheating or any kind of abuse, then it would be understandable if you won’t want to keep the relationship going. However, you should still forgive the person so you can completely move on and have peace of mind.
17. Humility is present
During misunderstandings, both of you are ready to be the first to apologize regardless of whose fault it is. You do not let pride dominate because you know it won’t lead to any good results. Moreover, you understand that God honors humility. (1 Peter 5:5)
18. Planning to bring up your future children in God’s love
You want your future children to grow with love and reverence for God. That is why you start envisioning how you would raise them up in the way of the Lord.
19. Encouraging each other to pursue excellence as a way of honoring God
You inspire each other to give your best in your studies, jobs, or anything else you do as a way of honoring God. You both want to glorify Him through the works of your hands because you have committed to living for Him. (Colossians 3:23)
20. Striving to be role models
You want your relationship to be a blessing to God and people. You want to be a good example of how a relationship can be pleasing to God. For this reason, you are careful not to do anything that would make other people stumble, especially the younger ones.
With God It is Possible
No matter how much you try to make your relationship perfect, it will never be because you are imperfect humans. Also, your relationship is composed of two persons with different personalities. Therefore, misunderstandings and clashes of minds cannot be avoided sometimes.
However, as you continue to strive to follow God and putting Him at the center of your relationship, you will see how He is actually changing it—and you both—for the better.
ALSO READ: How to Put God at the Center of Your Relationship: 17 Ways
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- Prophetic School And Hearing The Voice of God
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Hey Joan…thank you very much for this… I’m a 23 years old girl who loves the Lord and strives to pursue God in all things. It’s not easy in our age to do this but people like you inspire me, form my previous relationship I learned that s*x can really destroy a person’s life hence I chose to be celibate now(11 months and counting)…..I’m in a relationship now, its been a month and a few weeks now but I’ve been getting doubts about us though most of the signs that you talked about are in our relationship…could this be a fear of commitment?