Am i ready to date?

Sometimes, the urge to be with someone you see as special and someone who sees you as special is very strong, most especially when you are young. But, what is dating?, how can you know that you are ready to date? and when can a start to dating? Dating is any activity usually social, in which your romantic interest is focused on one person of the opposite sex and the interest of that person is also focused on you. But how can you know that you are ready to date? To answer this question you have to first know your purpose for dating. Ask yourself: Is my purpose of dating honourable that is, to help me determine my marriage mate? Or is it casual that is, just being with a member of the opposite sex without any intention of getting married? If your purpose is casual, you are like a child who plays with a new toy today and then discards it tommorrow. By doing so, you are preparing yourself for divorce instead of for marriage. Always remember that when you are dating someone you are affecting his feelings and emotions. Think: would you want someone to play with your feelings as if they were some child's toy- to be picked up for a moment and then quickly abandoned? Surely, your answer would be no. Therefore, do not play with the feelings of others. Take to heart the GOLDEN RULE: 'what you want people to do to you do to others likewise'. Think before going down the road. But when can i start dating? you may ask. To answer this question, we have to consider the words of Apostle Paul at 1Corinthians 7:36 which says: ''and if he has past the bloom of youth...let them marry''. Therefore, applying this scripture, we will wait until we have past the bloom of youths that is the period when sexual feelings and romantic emotions first become very strong. Before this time, put off the snares of dating wisely. Wait until you are old enough to know yourself better. Remember that keeping very close association with a member of the opposite sex while in this phase could fan up the flame of the desire to engage in sexual immorality. Do not allow your peers to force you experiment with sex. By waiting until you have past the bloom of youth, you can 'ward off harmful things from your body'. Research has also shown that any couple who marries under the age of 20 are likely to have a divorce within 5 years. Do you want yours to be the same? Being pressured to date is not fair. It is like being forced to take a final exam for a course you have barely started. Therefore, before you starting dating, study the subject- how can i build friendships so that when i meet the right person i will be in a better position to build a solid relationship with him or her. After all, a good marriage is a union between 2 friends. Waiting to date will give you more freedom to rejoice while you are young. Remember that if you focus on one person too soon, you set yourself for heartache. So use your time well. Use this period of your life to learn to cultivate and maintain friendships so that later, if you chose to date, you will have a better idea of who you are and what you need in a lifelong partner. If you follow this advice closely, you will have a successfull and happy life with rich rewards. The choice is up to you.