In my opinion, dating for marriage is the key to a happy, healthy relationship.
Even at the very start, if you approach a relationship with this in mind, it makes a world of difference.
Let me explain what I mean.
Partner vs. Boyfriend/Girlfriend
When you’re dating with the intention for marriage, your standards get a bit higher, but in a different sense.
See the game of life is a lot longer than a boardgame.
There are many more hurdles that you’re going to face, and it’s different because a lot of them, you can’t just escape.
When you’re dating for fun, or casually dating, you look for superficial things, or things that lead to instant gratification.
It’s much more short-term.
Essentially, you’re looking for a boyfriend/girlfriend who will instantly satisfy your wants.
A pretty face, maybe someone who is funny and understands you. Perhaps even someone who just cares about you a little bit more than everybody else.
When you’re dating for marriage, you look for a partner. Someone who will be by your side no matter what.
Friends come and go, but a partner is essentially someone who will always be by your side.
A lifelong marathon, not a race
The idea of instant gratification has become more and more prominent.
So many people are single and lonely, and the immediate thought is to find someone to fill that void.
They check off unrealistic expectations, and the instant anyone shows any sign of interest matching those expectations, it begins.
The race to get into a relationship begins and it becomes a matter of how fast can I stop feeling lonely.
What ends up happening is it becomes a string of relationship after relationship.
No longer are you really understanding what you want, but you’re moreso just constantly trying to race to fill that void.
Life is long.
Being with someone forever is a marathon, not a race.
Moving at such a fast pace, you often don’t see clearly of what’s ahead.
But when you think of it as a marathon, that changes.
There is time to really think about what you need, rather than focusing on what you want in the short-term.
You can properly see the course you’re heading down, and understand what you need in order to get there.
Dating for marriage keeps commitment in mind
I think commitment is a scary thing for a lot of people. And chances are, those people aren’t dating with the idea of marriage in mind.
When you are dating for marriage, commitment isn’t a battle.
It’s just something that becomes easy.
You want to commit to your partner because you realize you don’t need anything else.
I think that’s one of the best things about dating for marriage.
Commitment becomes so easy, that you don’t even realize that you’re putting any effort.
Tell me, are you dating for marriage?
Let me know in the comments!
Check out my last article on being proactive in a relationship.
You can also check out similar articles in the relationship stuff section.
I also write for Medium and a publication called P.S. I Love You.
Thank you so much for reading.
Love always,
Alex