Social media is only experiencing an exponential incline these days. However, I have more recently witnessed a discouraging setback affecting mostly generations including ages 20 and below. This setback is known as the infamous "Relationship Goals." As believers in Christ, we need to understand that by no means are these "relationship goals" the same goals God wants for us within our relationships.
Whether you are aware of it or not, social media is subconsciously shaping how its consumers believe relationships should be. Even then, there are so many different goals displayed on the Internet. How am I, as a Christian, supposed to discern which one is correct? Trick question: none of them are correct. Don't get me wrong, it is more than OK to want to be with someone who treats you right. But I believe being with a Godly man or woman who will walk alongside you towards the Lord must come first.
In Hebrews 10, it is written in verses 24 and 25 that we must:
"...consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another — and all the more as you see the Day approaching."
We are intended to be in community with one another to build each other up to be closer to God. Whether we are called to live celibate lives or lives in marriage, the Bible guides us to look to God in all of our relationships. Especially in regards to the relationships between our boyfriends and girlfriends.
Devote your relationship to God.
In your relationship, it is vital for you to grow together spiritually. By having God as the Foundation for your relationship, you are able to see the Beauty He intended for you, both individually and together. Encouragement is extremely necessary! Life is not easy ladies and gentlemen, so why make it more difficult for one another? Invite your boyfriend or girlfriend to look into a daily devotional or even a Bible study! By encouraging each other to put faith in the Lord's ever-present help in trouble (Psalm 46:1-3), both of you will be able to find deafening Peace.
God must be at YOUR center.
Knowing God's love for you is the most important aspect in who you are as a Christian. Human love is so very weak in the eyes of God because His love for us is completely unfathomable due to its magnitude. By having Him as your center, you do not have to seek fulfillment in how anyone else makes you feel. In Matthew 6:31-33 we are able to find that we do not have to worry about what we are going to get, because God is always going to be giving. By submitting our lives to God's reality, initiatives and provisions, our everyday human concerns will be met. Because God wants the very best for us, we must lose grip of the control over our lives that we do not have, and accept His overwhelming blessings (Proverbs 16:3).
Pray, pray, pray!
Exodus 15:18, "The Lord shall reign forever and ever." God will reign forever and ever over all creation. That also means that God reigns entirely over your dating relationships. In Philippians 4:6, Paul says "Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything." Praying is the best thing you can do for your boyfriend or girlfriend, and with each other. Pray for anything and everything. Give everything to God and let God know that you are asking for His approval. Simply talk with Him about problems or daily concerns, and praise Him for all that He is doing in you and your boyfriend's or girlfriend's lives! But also pray together. By praying together, you are experiencing God together. This will bring you both closer to God and closer together in understanding how God desires for you to care for one another.
Love is patient, love is kind...
A Godly relationship is always worth the wait. I cannot stress that enough. We are directly told in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 what exactly love is:
"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."
This is the love that God has provided us without end! Just as Christ has loved us, we need to love each other. We have been taught to love our Lord our God with all of our heart and souls and minds and strength. We have also been told to love our neighbors as ourselves. Being with someone who loves Jesus so deeply is entirely key, because they know that His love is the model on how we as believers need to love other people.
Nobody is perfect for that matter. We will make mistakes in our lives and in our relationships. We won't always keep our balance, but when we stumble we must remember that God will always be there to catch us. Whether you choose to follow the media's view on "relationship goals" or the Bible's is completely up to you. But I choose to be in a relationship that has God as our foundation, keeps God at my center, prays continually and loves because they know God loved us first. Know someone like that? They are most definitely "goals."
