Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Who would Jesus Date? WWJD?

But I love him!!!” Yells Marsha as she storms out of the room. Suddenly the slam of her bedroom door rings through the house. Marsha’s parents sadly look at each other. Marsha had recently started dating a young man who they believe wasn’t the best for her. “Ill show them, they think they can keep me from him!” Marsha whispers, as she pulls back the curtains and opens the window. Quickly she grabs her hoodie and makes her bold move. Running away seems to be the only answer so she can be with the one she loves. This might seem rash but this has been coming for a long time. You see, Marsha is one of those teens that lost her identity when she started dating. You know who I am talking about, you know that friend who used to hang out with you, but since they started dating you NEVER see them. It’s almost as if they are a zombie. Their myspace once showed blogs and pictures of how much fun they had with their friends and family but now it is full of quotes about how much they love their new boyfriend/girlfriend. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not mad about the fact that Marsha found someone, but why should her whole life be surrounded by this one person? She never goes to youth group anymore and you can see something different in her eyes. Where there was once a glimmer of happiness now it’s more like a glazed over look. 24/7 Marsha is always with “Him”.

You wouldn’t believe how much I hear this story, from teenagers and parents. Some people get “love drunk” and lose their identity as they change to make another person happy. Some times they know that the person they are dating is bad for them but they have a fear of being alone. Many times they will date people who they’d never marry. You might be thinking, “whoa whoa, what are you talking about...I am just dating dude!!” Um news flash, dating is taking applications for marriage! If you don’t want to marry someone who is unfaithful, someone who drinks, or someone who smokes, why would you date them? The Bible tells us that we should not be unequally tied together to people who aren’t believers. Imagine if you were pulling a cart but your boyfriend/girlfriend was going the opposite direction, it’d be super hard to get anywhere! The Bible tells us to date believers ONLY and it DOESN’T support missionary dating...You know what I mean, dating people who aren’t believers and trying to change them. Usually the Christian in this situation ends up with the short end of the stick! Would you be the type of person Jesus would date? The type of person that would make his walk with God stronger. One who prays with Him, who does Bible study with him? Do you put God first in your dating relationship? Do you do things in private that you would be embarrassed to do on Sunday morning in front of the entire packed out church with your friends and family watching? Don’t forget that God always sees us even when we think he doesn’t! Learn to put God first, and you will have the relationship God wants you to have.

Before Adam and Eve messed up in the garden of Eden, man-kind was perfect. Adam and Eve sinned against God so we needed a new example. God sent his son Jesus to earth to be our example. When Jesus came he set the standard of what we are now suppose to be.

Throughout Jesus’ life He only did what God would be pleased with. So if we are called Christians, which means “followers of Christ”, we are to be like Jesus. We are to make God #1 in all areas of our lives. This includes our dating life. Jesus died on the cross for our sins, and now we should have a new relationship with sin. We should be dead to sin or sin should be dead to us!!! (Romans 6:1-2, Romans 6:11, 1 Peter 2:24) The things we once did, we don’t do anymore after we repent of our sins (Matt 6:12, Acts 3:19, Acts 17:30) . Repent means to turn from our sins and ask God to forgive you and make it a point to never want or do those things in your life ever again. After this 2 Cor 5:17 says that you are a new creature. Everything is new, all things are passed away.

So living as a new creature, justified with God (justified means that now you are on good terms with God) What kind of person would you date? You would date someone who has done the same thing as you. Who has repented of their sins and is now a disciple of Christ. A person who helps you grow as a Christian. This is who Jesus would date.

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