Stop Test-Driving Your Girlfriend

Ouch... The guy's harsh. I don't think any of my guy friends would take this from a woman. And, as I think of it, they probably shouldn't.

Michael Lawrence writes of looking toward a marital relationship with consumer-based eyes: Will this produce the best results for me? Then he points out that that's not the way to do it.

The problem of course is that as a single Christian man, not only are you going to marry a sinner, but you are a sinner as well.

The Bible reminds us that though our marriages are to be pictures of the gospel relationship between Christ and the church, none of us get to marry Jesus. Instead, like Hosea, we all marry Gomer; that is to say, we all marry another sinner, whom God intends to use to refine and grow our faith in Jesus.

Ouch again--nothin' like being likened to an adulteress... But what a concept--man realizes woman's sinfulness and imperfection (as well as his own) and loves her anyway. Woman, realizing her own sinfulness and imperfection, loves man for his choice to love her and respects him despite his sinfulness and imperfection.

Instead of asking if she's the one, you should ask yourself, "Am I the sort
of man a godly woman would want to marry?" If you're not, then you'd be better
off spending less time evaluating the women around you, and more time developing
the character of a disciple.

Same back at ya, sister: am I the sort of woman a godly man would want to marry?

With that, I'm off to clean, spend some time in the Word, and make a chicken casserole for supper. (Might even use a recipe.)