Last week I wrote on dating and finding "the one", and how individuals could do that. However, dating needs to be approached differently for guys and girls. The general applications are the same; "Do not settle for someone who pulls you down", "Know what you want, and do not compromise", but how those pieces of wisdom are applied are different.

Now as I am not woman, my experience with being a woman and dating is very limited. But, I am hoping that the fact that I am a man does not dilute the truths that I can talk about.

Pro tip: a good rule of thumb is that 50% guys are not worth your time. That is probably a conservative estimate if there ever was one, but for practicality let us assume that 50% of guys are not for you.

This of course, may be of no fault to them, in instances where there is nothing wrong with him, you both are just too different. I am reminded of a couple of friends of mine who are male and female, but they would never work together as a couple. Neither one of them are bad people, but they disagree on virtually everything politically. This makes for a fantastic friendship, as they are able to talk and work through issues that they both hold dearly, but since they disagree so fervently on hot-button issues in politics, it would be wise for them not to pursue a dating relationship.

However, I am not oblivious to the fact that some men are pigs. I know that there are men out there that know women's bodies better than they know their names, and that is disgusting and immoral, and my prayer for them is that God either saves them or strikes them down. Ladies my advice for dealing with these kind of men would be to not even give them the time of day. Do not let some disrespectful, immature man-child change how you view yourself and your worth.

Which brings me to my next point; know your worth. Whether you believe in God or not, the fact is that you are made by God to be unique and beautiful as an individual. The acceptance of this truth is the first step in eliminating self-doubt, and knowing your value as an individual.

This means, if a man who seems interested in you, does not acknowledge or respect the fact that you are fearfully and wonderfully made by God and that you should be treated as such, kick him to the curb. Look for a man who knows your worth, and values your thoughts and ideas.

This leaves the other 50% that may be worth pursuing. If they meet the above criteria, which is pretty general, then you must move on to the specifics by asking yourself these questions.

1. Are your dreams and callings from God similar?

What I mean by this is, can there be any way that your lifelong goals, like careers, match up? If you want to be an overseas missionary, and he never wants to live farther than 100 miles from where he grew up, this must be handled before any serious relationship can be formed.

2.How does he react to conflict/adversity?

Does he blow up, or lose his temper if anything goes awry? Does he shrink away from conflict and passively allow conflict to arise or continue? When you both disagree, how does he handle when you present an opinion different than his?

3. How does he treat his mom?

This is a good indication of how he will treat you when you are in a serious relationship/married. If he respects his mom (or another motherly figure in his life if his mom is absent), and cherishes their relationship, he will most likely do the same for you. If he disrespects her or is apathetic towards her guidance in his life, be wary of his commitment level to you.

Now, there are too many different instances in relationships for me to directly address, but those are three good questions to ask, as well as any others that may come to mind when it comes to seeing the character of a man in your life. A good rule of thumb for every woman to follow is: set your standards for yourself high and wait for a man to meet them.

However, do not scare off good men because you set unrealistic standards that no imperfect person can meet. Do not expect your man to be sinless. Because, if you do, he will let you down 100% of the time. And do not make it hard on him to come to you with sin. For example, early on in my relationship with my girlfriend, I told her about my past pornography addiction. She responded with grace and humility in confirming that she was not going to let my past define how she viewed me now, but I better leave the past in the past. In other words, porn needed to stay in my past or she was not going to be in my future. She had high expectations for me, but she also knew I was human and needed forgiveness just like everyone else.

To wrap up, be strong in who you are and know your worth. Set high, but not unrealistic standards, and do not compromise on those standards in pursuit of a mate. And lastly, do your brothers a favor and BE APPROACHABLE! Do not be easy, but it is hard for even the best of men to approach a woman if she is always surrounded by friends, or always too busy to talk, or always shoots spikes at anyone who approaches her. If you have an interest in a man, do not give yourself up, but for the sanity of the poor man trying to win your interest, be approachable!

I really hoped this helped in any way I could, my goal is to help people find themselves and the God-given value they have.

Shoutout to Shelbi Renaldo who provided the pictures for these articles. Check out her Facebook for more info on how to book sessions with her.