YOUNG PEOPLE ASK . . .

When to Date

This does not mean that you will never be able to date. But if you are a teenager, you are probably in the what the Bible calls "the bloom of youth." (1 Corinthians 7:36) You are just beginning to blossom into the man or the woman that you will eventually be. During this period of time, you begin to mature physically, emotionally, and sexually.  Your feelings-including sexual desires-may be as strong as they will ever be. However, those feelings may also be subject  to rapid changes. For this reason, teen romances tend to be very short lived.  "When I'd date," recalls one teenage girl, "it was usually on one week and off the next."

Clearly, it doesn't make sense to date during "the bloom of youth. "It is best to wait until you know who you are, and what goals you wish to pursue. Also, you should be old enough to carry out the responsibilities of marriage. For example, Jehovah expects a husband to provide for his family-physically, materially and spiritually.  IF you are a teenage boy, are you prepared to get a a job and care for a wife and possibly children?  Are you in a position  to assist them in maintaining their spirituality?  And what if you are a young girl? A wife is required  to love and respect her husband; she must support  the decisions he makes. Are you really prepared to do so on a long term basis?  Also, are you ready to manage a household day in and day out-to prepare meals and take care of children? -Ephesians 5:22-25, 28-31; 1 Timothy 5:8.

To illustrate: In Western lands young people dream of driving the family car. But what does  a youth have to do before he or she is allowed to do so?  In most lands you have to get some training and take a test before you are given that license. Why? Because driving is a serious responsibility. Your life and the lives of others will be in your hands when  you get behind the steering wheel. Well, marriage is also a very serious responsibility! As a teenager, you may simply not be ready for it yet. In that case, you would be wise to resist the temptation to date, since dating is a step toward finding a marriage mate. Put simply: If you are not ready for marriage, you shouldn't date. 

Next time: YOUNG PEOPLE ASK . . ./Conclusion of When to Date

From the AWAKE! magazine, 2001