Recently I barrowed the book Boy Meets Girl from one of my best friends, Kelsey out of curiosity, it’s a book about courtship. You’re probably thinking courtship? What is she thinking! Well many of us, including myself before I read book, have an old fashion view of courtship. We think of like Queen Victoria or your parents choosing your partner, but let me just tell you it’s not old fashion way of thinking it’s a great way to go!
Relationships, what’s our reasoning for them? Is it to have someone to talk to, live with, or love? We enter in to many relationships throughout life. But one of the most important is with our future spouse. After all this is the person were going to spend the rest of our life with. Joshua Harris makes points through his book not only on courtships but also on relationships in general. The most important point made in this book is to have a God honoring relationship. Courtship is the best way to make sure that in everything that you do as a couple honors God. After all we are put in this world to glorify God and to spread his Word, even during our relationships.
Courtship is “customizable”. Each couple will choose different routes during their courtship, some will chose to kiss before marriage some wont, there are many different aspects that couples will do differently. But the ultimate goal is marriage. In a courtship as a couple you will have older couples, parents, and maybe even your pastor who will mentor you. They will help guide you through the whole thing per say. These people will help be your accountability they will make sure that you are honoring God and yourselves through the courtship. They should be people you trust to be straight with you. You want them to tell you if they think you are doing something they think is wrong. They will help guide you in the direction of marriage. You should always seek them for council about decisions. I feel like this is one of the most important parts about a courtship, and something that sets it apart from normal relationships.
The whole reasoning behind courtship is to find the one you’re going to marry. So if you’re not ready for marriage then don’t decide to begin a courtship wait until you know that you know that you’re ready and willing to commit to a marriage proposal. Now this doesn’t mean that when you start a courtship you have to marry that person that’s not what it’s about. It’s to discover IF that’s the one. Not all courtships will work out the way you want them to. You may feel like you know that’s the guy/girl you’re going to marry before you begin your courtship but then come to find out that there just not the one. This is okay that’s what it’s for, discovery. Yes some people will find the person they are going to may in a “normal” relationship, but a lot people will commit to a relationship knowing they don’t want marriage. Why should you spend that time with someone if you know that there not the one for you?
I have always thought ill meet someone, will fall in love, date for a while, then whenever were ready get engaged and then married. But as I read Josh Harris book about courtship my view on dating and love was totally changed. Many of you who know me know that I have never really dated before. This wasn’t really a mindset I had growing up, it was just what happened. I used to think I was weird, what teenager doesn’t date? But now as I have grown up and talked to people who dated all through high school and I now view this as a blessing. See how these immature relationships affect someone really makes me can feel grateful that I didn’t make it my priority.
Joshua Harris really nailed if for me when it comes to relationships. It helped me realize that my view about them has been very swayed. Our upmost priority is to honor God in everything we do including our relationships. In my opinion courtship is that best way to do that. It gives your accountability and responsibility and purpose. I think that everyone should ready Joshua Harris’s book Boy meets Girl. Whether you want to have a courtship or not this book gives good tip I guess you could call it for having a God honoring relationship.
