Should you date because of love or because God tells you?

Last updated on September 26, 2020

Question:

Should you date someone just because you love her or should you wait on God to tell you to be with someone?

Answer:

You date someone because you believe she might be a person you would like to marry. It shouldn’t be based on feelings, but on knowing the person. Feelings are there. It might even be because of feelings that you notice the person. But feelings are not how you make choices in life. “He who trusts in his own heart is a fool, but whoever walks wisely will be delivered” (Proverbs 28:26).

The idea that God directly tells people who to date or to marry is contrary to the teachings of the Scriptures. The Bible is clear that prophecy has ended (I Corinthians 13:8-10).

God does work in our lives providentially but generally, you don’t realize His hand was guiding the situation until you look back and see that there were too many “coincidences.” See Does God have a say in whom we choose as a spouse? It isn’t that God has left us without guidance. The Bible is full of advice on how to choose a good woman to be your wife. But God leaves it up to you to follow His advice.