Now for starters, can I ask you, “Do you think that’s true?”
Of course not. Everyone is not dating. In fact, odds are if you go down your list of non-married friends and acquaintances, MOST of them are not dating.
But why does it feel like everyone is dating when we know – factually-speaking – they aren’t?
Two words explain this phenomenon: Disney Channel.
Can I get an Amen?
For goodness sakes those kids come out of the womb dating. By the time she’s in 3rdgrade, a Disney princess is likely to be on her 8th boyfriend. And who can blame them! “Because I had to break up with Johnny. He wouldn’t sit beside me at recess anymore. Sports was clearly more important to him than me. Hmmmpf! Tom though – he ‘gets it.’”
I only wish when I was in elementary school that sports was more important to me than getting a girlfriend. Striking out at home plate couldn’t have hurt much more than striking out with girls. Plus, in sports I could have been developing relationships with guys, learning to be a team player and keeping the love handles at bay. Instead, before there was the Disney Channel, my only sport was chasing the girls. A sport I was never never any good at until college.
For that matter you watch any program on any channel and everyone is dating. Well – the important people are. And the fun people. And cool people. Especially the cool people who flaunt God’s rules and live by their own.
Let these words from Proverbs encourage you: Do not let your heart envy sinners, but always be zealous for the fear of the Lord. There is surely a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off. – Proverbs 23:17-18 (NIV)
Do believe that? That if you are zealous for the fear of the Lord – that if you are fervently devoted to seeking and honoring Him – that there is a future hope for you that’s guaranteed?
Could this belief help you endure another dateless Valentine’s Day? Maybe it’s not even the “hope” you’re currently hoping for, but do you honestly think that you (limited human being that you are) have a better plan for your future than your perfect, infinite and unchanging God who loves you with an everlasting love?
What is our motive for following the crowd anyway?
I’ll share my thoughts next weekend, but for now I’d love to hear from you. Do you see this pack mentality at work and what do you see as the mysterious force driving the herd?
DNA: It’s What’s For Dating
The LoveEd study guide series, Beyond Sex & Salvation, will help you gain helpful perspective on dating, sex and relationships. Check out Part 1: Three Critical Life Lessons for Relational Success NOW on iBooks, Kindle or Nook.
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