Bible Reading: Galatians 5:19-23
When the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Galatians 5:22-23
Imagine this: You’re a girl. (Okay, if you’re a guy that’s tough to wrap your brain around, but try.) You’ve been picked as a contestant on the hit game show Meet Your Perfect Match. Your job is to pick your perfect marriage partner from three goofy guys sharing the stage with you. By asking and answering several questions, you discover all sorts of significant stuff you have in common. So tell which characteristic makes your guy a great choice for you to marry for life:
(a) You both carry Scooby Doo lunch boxes.
(b) You each think the other is really cute.
(c) You both are exceedingly popular.
(d) You both spend spring break snorkeling with stingrays.
(e) You both are growing Christians who show the character of Christ.
Hmmm . . . not too tough.
But here’s something really big to think about. If the goal of going out is to find a best friend with whom to spend the rest of your life, then you aren’t looking for how popular someone is, how cute she is, what toys he owns, or the opinions of friends. What makes a winner is the stuff on the inside. Galatians 5:22-23 lists the huge character qualities you need in any good friend—especially your best friend for life.
Actually, that last choice in the list above is the first question to ask about someone you like or want to go out with—or someday get hitched to. When you know someone you like is a committed Christian, then you get to start figuring out if you have similar goals and personality as well as a desire to get along—all the things that can help you decide whether God means for you to spend your lives together. (By the way, God won’t make you marry someone you can’t stand to look at!)
Winning a bride or groom on a bizarre TV game show is not likely God’s best plan for you. The person you marry will be someone you choose. If you date losers—like people who fail the Galatians 5:22-23 test—you greatly increase your odds of marrying a loser. But if you pick winners, it’s likely you will marry a winner.
TALK: Would your parents ever ship you to Hollywood to be a contestant on Meet Your Perfect Match? How come? Why do you need to keep in mind the standards in Galatians 5 right now?
PRAY: God, thank you that in your perfect timing you will bring special people into our life—guys or girls that meet your standards.
ACT: Here are some giant questions to ask Dad and Mom: When will it be okay to date? On what kind of dates? How will we decide who I should date?
