Dating as a Christian has some profound differences than dating in the secular world. Here is what I have discovered going from dating in the secular world compared to dating a godly man.
Before dating my husband, I had never “followed” per say any guidelines that a Christian woman would follow dating. I didn’t follow specific commands found in the Bible and it wasn’t that I didn’t believe in God, but it was because I lacked a relationship with Christ. Although my intimate relationship with God begun just a few months before dating Nick, I learned a lot just by being around a man with godly integrity who stood firm in his faith. Just as said in Proverbs 27:17, “ As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.”
These are the 7 things I have learned from dating a godly man.
7 Things I Learned From Dating A Godly Man
A Godly Man Shows Humility
“ In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” 1 Peter 5:5
Nick never seemed to show any boasting about accomplishments or any achievements. Now if he did speak about something wonderful that he couldn’t stop talking about, it usually involved giving God all the glory.
This wasn’t always true of him. We have known each other a very long time, since grade school, and Nick would be one to brag about something such as a new guitar he may have picked up, an accomplishment at work, or even how amazing one of his plays went in a soccer game. Yet this is something that vanished in him as he committed himself to Christ. He truly humbled himself and his proudness faded.
A Godly Man Shows Perseverance
“Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” Romans 5: 3-4
When things would come up in our dating life that we knew we shouldn’t do or positions we should put ourselves into, Nick persevered. He insisted we may not enjoy the restrictions God has set up for us to follow, but it will be worth it. Because of this perseverance, I saw the great character in him that emulated what I would want in a future husband.
A Godly Man Shows Commitment
“Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.” Proverbs 16:3
Seeing a man make a decision based on what God guides you to do instead of what you desire to do is something I had never seen in a man before. And once I saw that in Nick while were dating, I felt a sense of reassurance that I hadn’t felt before in a relationship and that is because God was guiding him, Nick was committing to him, thus God was guiding our relationship. And what could be more powerful and reassuring than God being in control of your dating life and not yourself!
We are both committed to the Lord and it created a strong foundation right from the very beginning of our relationship and it continues to be the rock that holds us together today.
A Godly Man Shows Faith
“He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” Matthew 17:20
No matter what has happened in our relationship, Nick’s faith was never been fully shaken. He never showed trust in the Lord fully one day, then blamed him for trials and difficulties the next. He knows that God created this life and place we live and knows exactly what is going to happen from the beginning to the end. This doesn’t mean some days are not harder than others, but if we have even just the smallest faith in him, nothing is impossible!
A Godly Man Shows Compassion
“The LORD is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion.” Psalm 116:5
When I moved home I began volunteering with Nick at our local food pantry each week even before we began dating. The mission of the food pantry is to serve those in physical and spiritual need which is ran by our church. This type of volunteer work allowed me to see the compassion a truly godly man could have for those who he doesn’t even know. It filled my heart to know he could be this compassionate to others and to just imagine how he, in turn, will treat me as his girlfriend. We still serve the Lord through weekly volunteering at the food pantry.
A Godly Man Shows Obedience
“ How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to your word. I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” Psalm 119: 9-11
Nick began memorizing scripture around the time we started dating and he mentioned to me more than once that he was able to remember full chapters and books from the Bible because it wasn’t just stored in his mind but God’s word was written on his heart. Because of his ability to hold these words close to his heart, his obedience to the Lord stayed strong. This also allowed us to refrain from having premarital sex through constant reminders of God’s commands.
Allowing these words to be written on our hearts allowed us to refrain from any sin but this one, in particular, was more of a challenge and displayed great obedience on both of our halves.
A Godly Man Shows Love
“Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.” 1 John 4:7
Showing true love can only be done through knowing God first because God is love and God created us because of love. The love I felt from Nick compared to any other boyfriend in the past was different and it was because of his relationship with God. He knew how much God loved him and because of that out of this world love that only God can give, it overflowed into our relationship.
This love continues in our relationship now that we are married and stands to be the foundation of our marriage. There has been no greater love that I have felt from a man than the day we got married and this was because we both received God’s love and followed His commands before we made a lifetime commitment to one another.
If you find yourself dating a godly man with the 7 things I have listed above then I can honestly say you have found a man that was worth the wait!
Comments 5
Absolutely beautiful! I really enjoyed the 7 things about dating a Christian Man!! I am currently friends with someone of these same traits! I completely recognize the difference in him ! I am not currently dating him, but he has all of those qualities you listed . My happiness is that now God has shown me exactly what is so important in a relationship with a Godly man! I really do not know if this friendship will turn to anything more. We have a great love and respect for each other as friends . We have known and encouraged each other for 4-5 years. He is my daughter’s worship leader/ music teacher, and we have been able to grow into a special relationship bound by the love of music(my daughter is a solo artist) and of the passionate love for God. I now know what a Godly man looks like ! This may not be who God has designated for my future mate .. but I am patient, and I know that someone whom is Gods will for our lives, will be whom God chooses ultimately! Please keep our precious hearts in prayer as we all find our purpose, and our way to honor God for all the world to see ! By the way ! I am inspired by you and your husband’s story! The platform God has placed you two on , is for all the world to see! It’s what dreams are made of !
Thanks again for warming my heart!
Tess, I am glad you were touched by this article. My husband and I will be praying for you and for God to bless you with a Godly man who loves the Lord with all his heart! I admire your patience and encourage you to stay strong and follow where the Lord is leading you. Have a blessed weekend, Leah.
Thanks so much for your response and your prayers !! It is so appreciated!
Tess
Please when dating a goodly man
And he said I love you
Is it bad?
I am54 years old and would want you to pray for a godly man. Relationship that will lead to marriage
Magdalena
Namibia