In my peripheral vision, I couldn’t help but notice this white blur bouncing around. Curious as to what it was, I turned and glanced in its direction. A white, plastic grocery bag. As it continued to dance around in the wind, it transformed from an aimless bag to a metaphor for life: aimless dating.
What is the purpose of dating? This is a question that many individuals never ask themselves, and it can lead them to aimless wandering through the dating process. The problem with that is it can leave you tattered, kicked around, and sometimes tossed away carelessly. Dating aimlessly, and without discretion, can lead to brokenness and damage that is difficult to overcome down the road.
You are valuable, and you should expect to be treated that way. Not just anyone deserves your time, attention, energy, and love. Filter your suitors well, and do not settle for reckless handling of your heart. If you are not careful about who you are dating, they can cause you to become negatively disillusioned about your worth. You are wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14); don’t forget that!
Dating is a time of screening potential suitors to become your lifelong partner. Negligent dating may land you in a marriage that is less than ideal, which makes for a challenging, uphill climb through life that is painful and disheartening. On the other hand, using wisdom and caution during the dating process can lead to a lifetime of love, joy, happiness, and the pursuit of God’s calling on your life with the love of your life by your side.
Don’t be the aimless, white grocery bag being tossed in all directions, getting damaged and broken along the way. See and know your value, be wise in your selection of dates, and be intentional about the purpose of dating.
