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Re: Christian Relationship Challenges / Behavioral Codes...
I know we are having a bit of fun with this thread, but I came across an interesting article with a couple of pointers that could be embraced in any code. It speaks to guys, but I am sure it can be applied to both genders.
"...how can a guy translate living for God into a purposeful romantic relationship? Here’s a quick look at the five essentials.
1. Joyful obedience to God’s Word.
If we’re going to do things God’s way, submission to His Word is nonnegotiable. (Check out Deuteronomy 4:2.) When we rebel against God’s commands, our actions say that He doesn’t know what He’s talking about, His Word is outdated and He isn’t trustworthy. But when we say yes to God in our relationships, even in small areas, we bring Him glory. Our actions say that His commands are good and that He deserves to be obeyed.
2. The selfless desire to do what’s best for the other person.
This important quality of a God-glorifying relationship is summed up in the Golden Rule: “Do to others as you would have them do to you” (Luke 6:31).
We glorify God in our relationships when we put our needs aside and base our decisions on what serves the interests of the other person. We ask questions like these when we’re guided by a selfless desire to do what’s best for another:
Is starting this relationship now what’s best for her?
Will expressing all my feelings now serve her?
Are my actions encouraging her to love God more?
Am I communicating clearly and in a way that helps her?
Will kissing her be what’s best for her in the long run?
3. The humble embrace of community.
If God’s glory is truly our passion in a relationship, we won’t be too proud to admit that we need help. (See Proverbs 12:15). We need our parents’ wisdom, the support of our church, pastors to remind us of God’s commands, Christian friends to comfort and encourage us and the perspective and wisdom of fellow believers of all ages as we walk the path to marriage. And after we get married, we’ll need this community of support even more!
4. A commitment to guard the sacredness of sex.
Sexual sin is like spray-painting the Mona Lisa. It’s taking God’s masterpiece of sexual intimacy between husband and wife and defacing it—robbing it of its wonder and purpose.
When God’s glory is the priority in a relationship, you’ll find two people who view sex as something so precious that they refuse to let impatience and lust steal from it before marriage. Christians’ motivation for abstaining from sex before marriage is not prudishness but a passionate commitment to glorify God with our bodies and experience sex at its best. Even if you’ve sinned sexually in the past, you can commit to a life of God-glorifying chastity until marriage.
5. A deep satisfaction in God.
A couple committed to God’s glory places their ultimate hope in God, not in each other. Before two people can please God together, they must first be individuals who want God more than anything else and who know that only He can satisfy their souls’ deepest longings.
* * *
All five characteristics are important parts of bringing glory to God in our relationships. They are the issues that really matter. When we each stand before God, He won’t ask, “Did you date or did you court?” What will matter in eternity is whether our lives and our pursuit of romance brought glory to our Father."
Source: Breakaway
With all these things to consider, and the flesh in a fierce battle against the Spirit, is it any wonder that these relationships can prove rather challenging?
I know we are having a bit of fun with this thread, but I came across an interesting article with a couple of pointers that could be embraced in any code. It speaks to guys, but I am sure it can be applied to both genders.
"...how can a guy translate living for God into a purposeful romantic relationship? Here’s a quick look at the five essentials.
1. Joyful obedience to God’s Word.
If we’re going to do things God’s way, submission to His Word is nonnegotiable. (Check out Deuteronomy 4:2.) When we rebel against God’s commands, our actions say that He doesn’t know what He’s talking about, His Word is outdated and He isn’t trustworthy. But when we say yes to God in our relationships, even in small areas, we bring Him glory. Our actions say that His commands are good and that He deserves to be obeyed.
2. The selfless desire to do what’s best for the other person.
This important quality of a God-glorifying relationship is summed up in the Golden Rule: “Do to others as you would have them do to you” (Luke 6:31).
We glorify God in our relationships when we put our needs aside and base our decisions on what serves the interests of the other person. We ask questions like these when we’re guided by a selfless desire to do what’s best for another:
Is starting this relationship now what’s best for her?
Will expressing all my feelings now serve her?
Are my actions encouraging her to love God more?
Am I communicating clearly and in a way that helps her?
Will kissing her be what’s best for her in the long run?
3. The humble embrace of community.
If God’s glory is truly our passion in a relationship, we won’t be too proud to admit that we need help. (See Proverbs 12:15). We need our parents’ wisdom, the support of our church, pastors to remind us of God’s commands, Christian friends to comfort and encourage us and the perspective and wisdom of fellow believers of all ages as we walk the path to marriage. And after we get married, we’ll need this community of support even more!
4. A commitment to guard the sacredness of sex.
Sexual sin is like spray-painting the Mona Lisa. It’s taking God’s masterpiece of sexual intimacy between husband and wife and defacing it—robbing it of its wonder and purpose.
When God’s glory is the priority in a relationship, you’ll find two people who view sex as something so precious that they refuse to let impatience and lust steal from it before marriage. Christians’ motivation for abstaining from sex before marriage is not prudishness but a passionate commitment to glorify God with our bodies and experience sex at its best. Even if you’ve sinned sexually in the past, you can commit to a life of God-glorifying chastity until marriage.
5. A deep satisfaction in God.
A couple committed to God’s glory places their ultimate hope in God, not in each other. Before two people can please God together, they must first be individuals who want God more than anything else and who know that only He can satisfy their souls’ deepest longings.
* * *
All five characteristics are important parts of bringing glory to God in our relationships. They are the issues that really matter. When we each stand before God, He won’t ask, “Did you date or did you court?” What will matter in eternity is whether our lives and our pursuit of romance brought glory to our Father."
Source: Breakaway
With all these things to consider, and the flesh in a fierce battle against the Spirit, is it any wonder that these relationships can prove rather challenging?
copping a feel or two to check out the goods is still not an option. If a guy wants a 'test drive', is that something the female would be willing to grant?
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