Other Opportunities

Other Opportunities

Because of the weakness of your human nature, I am using the illustration of slavery to help you understand all this. Previously, you let yourselves be slaves to impurity and lawlessness, which led ever deeper into sin. Now you must give yourselves to be slaves to righteous living so that you will become holy. Romans 6:19

One of Linda’s suggestions to help Meg reclaim a righteous lifestyle was to plan ahead to avoid inappropriate dating situations. In my high school home economics class, we had a unit on dating, to get us to think before the date. What if we applied some of that think-ahead mentality to our present relationships? If you’re thinking about dating, perhaps my list of what not to look for in a man will help you compile your own list:

• Never date a man who isn’t serious about the Lord.
• If you are a single mother, never date a man who doesn’t like children, especially yours.
• Never date a man who makes fun of your cultural background, Southern or otherwise.
• Never date a man who is always borrowing money from you.
• Never date a man who says his boss or mother or first wife didn’t understand him.
• Never date a man who says you’ll never be as good a cook as his mama was.
• Never date a man who calls you by his dog’s name.
• Never date a man who drinks—especially if he says he can “handle” his liquor.
• Never date a man who is rude to salespeople or restaurant workers.
• Never date a man who brags about cutting corners on his taxes.

And my favorite: Never date a man who wears a belt buckle embossed with “Hello, Darlin’.” —SANDRA

Lord, I chuckle as I read this silly list. But it does make me think about the specific qualities I want in a date and future husband. I don’t want to desperately accept just anyone who meanders by, so help me to make my own list. And help me to talk over each point with you.

Whether it concerns her own life or the lives of others, the thinking Christian woman knows her thoughts, words and actions have eternal consequences. It is that knowledge that motivates her to evaluate all areas of her life in light of God’s eternal values rather than the temporal ones of this world. —HELEN K. HOSIER