I feel like I’ve said this before, but I believe that God works in themes. In my life especially. I might think about something, then hear a topic being discussed on the radio, and before I go to bed that night, I’ll receive a text message from a friend I haven’t talked to in a while about that same topic. I think that’s how God gets my attention. Recently, He’s allowed the “can you date someone that doesn’t share your religious beliefs” subject to pop up. Unlike some of my friends, I stand firm in my decision to only date guys that are truly Christians and have a solid walk with God. Many will say that you can have a successful relationship with someone that might have a different belief than you or none at all and this may be true. Sure, I mean, if you don’t regard your beliefs as a foundation in your life then I could see how that wouldn’t affect the general outcome of the relationship. However, that is not the case for me. I believe in God. I am not shy in my beliefs at all. This is not to say that I am holier than thou, because I most definitely am not, but I do have strong opinions that are Biblically-based and this is one.

First off, I date someone to see if they are relationship worthy. Once one is deemed relationship worthy, I engage in a relationship to see if they are marriage material. Off the bat, I must know if dude is a Christian. If the answer is “No” or “Yea, but I don’t really go to church like that”, then we’ve already established that you aren’t relationship-ready [for me]. I was getting to know a guy once only to find out that he is Muslim. And welp, there went that. To potentially engage in a life partnership with someone, we must be equally yoked. 2 Corinthians 6:14 states that you shouldn’t be joined together with an unbeliever. I agree. If the core to my existence stems from my belief in God, you must understand that I am truly invested in Him. And I would expect you to Him. I attend church regularly and am active in several ministries within it. My dude would have to understand that Wednesdays are Bible Study nights and if he wants to see me, I suppose he’ll come with me to church. I expect him to not only know God, but actually try to abide by His Word. He can’t just be surface Christian or “I’ma roll out the bed and turn my Jesus swag on” Christian. It’s gotta be more than that. He has to read the Bible daily. Pray. Go to church regularly. Listen to gospel music without mandate. Hebrews 11:6 says it’s impossible to please God if you don’t believe in Him. Because God has been in my life a lot longer than some fly-by-night, I rather please Him than him.

I don’t think this is asking for too much.