Christian Dating: 5 Things Every Single Christian Woman Needs to Know

Christian single women there are Five Christian dating things to look for in a potential husband. Being single is a lot of work. There is a lot of pressure on single women to "find a man," to get married, and to start a family. In the Christian community, this pressure can be even more intense, as traditional values often put a lot of importance on the marriage model. A single woman can end up feeling like there's something wrong with her as she searches for a Christian man to love. It's not easy.

But God wants us to be patient. Believers have to believe that God does have a plan, that He knows what He is doing, and even though it can sometimes feel like He is taking forever, we need to trust that the happy ending will be worth it (Romans 8:28-30).

While a woman is waiting, however, it is important to keep her eyes open. She needs to be looking for five things in a potential romantic partner:

• Spiritual Compatibility
• Character Compatibility
• Emotional Compatibility
• Communication Compatibility
• Physical Attraction

First, women must look for men who are spiritually compatible. The Bible tells us in 2 Corinthians 6:14 that it is unwise to become "bound" to an unbeliever. This may seem like a good idea at the time, especially if someone is in love with an unbeliever, but it can bring incredible heartache down the road. Someone once told me that the true definition of love is wanting to help someone else grow spiritually. If a believer marries an unbeliever, that unbeliever might become resentful of the believer's love for God. An unbelieving husband can become jealous of how much time and energy a believing woman invests in God. Also, if you want to have children, you want a partner who will team with you to raise them in a Christian home, with Christian values.

Second, character compatibility. What do you think is important in life? What are your ethics? A woman of character needs to marry a man of character. If an honest woman marries a man who thinks it's okay to cheat on their taxes, this will become a major issue in their relationship. As you are getting to know a man, be sure you get to know his character. How does he behave when no one is watching him?

Emotional compatibility. Before you commit to a man, make sure that he can satisfy your emotional needs. If you need a lot of encouragement, attention, and affection, be sure that he can give it to you. If you marry a man who is not on the same emotional playing field as you are, you are just setting him, and your marriage, up for failure. Likewise, if you are not an overtly emotional person, you probably do not want to marry someone who makes decisions based on his feelings.

You've heard it before, but communication is so important in a relationship, and unfortunately, many women do not try to communicate about difficult subjects until after they are already married. You need to have those deep and challenging conversations before you say your vows, to make sure that you are both communicating in a way that will work for you. Different people communicate in different ways, and if a couple's two ways don't match up, they will struggle to understand each other all their lives. You need to be willing to communicate, and you need to find a man who is willing to communicate.

And finally: physical attraction. Because we are human, we often put this one at the top of the list, but it should come in last. That doesn't mean that it isn't important - it is important to be physically attracted to your spouse. It just means that this should not be your number one priority, and you definitely should not ignore other more important incompatibilities because you are focusing on the physical realm. If you begin in a meaningful relationship, the physical attraction will grow out of that. If you begin in physical attraction, the chemistry can fizzle out and leave you without the other connections you need.

Be patient Christian Women. Pray about everything in your life, including your "love life." Believe that God has a wonderful man all picked out for you. Spend your energy loving God and God will make it happen for you. I once saw a bumper sticker that said, "A woman's heart should be so lost in God that a man needs to seek Him in order to find her." Amen.