Well maybe not quite fall in love. I did (maybe still do) have a crush on him, which isn't bad, but I let my heart pursue it. I let myself continue to think and think and think about it. He checked off everything on my list. He was everything I would want in a relationship. Except he didn't love Jesus.
I didn't know that at first, and sure, I told myself I would find out. Yet time went on and I had already begun to like him more and more. I thought, of course he's a believer, why wouldn't he be? I assumed he would have the same beliefs and I had already thought about a future together.
Now, none of this is bad. It's perfectly fine to like someone. I just said to myself, if he doesn't love God then I just won't like him anymore. But I didn't guard my heart, and now that I know his beliefs, I am finding it hard to stop feeling that way about him. Anytime he talks to me or brushes up against my shoulder my heart skips a beat, my stomach flutters, and my face turns pink. He talked about his passions and what he loved to do, and I am so attracted to his joy and confidence! Some of my friends say, "you didn't even give him a chance!" or "it's only dating, it's not like you'll marry him!" or "you know you could change his beliefs if you date him" or "he's perfect for you even if he doesn't agree on this one thing!".
These are dangerous thoughts. God tells us to not be unequally yoked. He doesn't want two people in a relationship like that to disagree on the single most important thing in the universe-Himself. It doesn't matter how great a person is if their religious beliefs are different from yours. If I went into that kind of a relationship with the thought of trying to change him or thinking it won't matter, I would have another thing coming.
1. He could bring me down instead of bringing me up (1 Corinthians 15:33- Bad company corrupts good morals). I could turn away from God if I wasn't strong enough.
2. How could I truly have a deep connection with someone I couldn't have a religious conversation with?
3. How could he lead me and encourage to follow after God's own heart?
4. What I dated just for the sake of having a boyfriend and having fun, but in the process fell in love? What if I married him? What if we had children together? What if one day, I decided to bring my children to church but my husband told me I couldn't? What kind of a household would we have, if the two parents couldn't agree on the most important thing to bring our children up on? It would be a disservice to not only my children, but to God.
These are reasons enough to date and marry someone that loves God, even if you think you've found the perfect guy for you. Even if he is funny, kind, generous, joyful, passionate, and good. Even if he is attractive, exciting, and intriguing. Even if he checks off almost everything on that "boyfriend list". He doesn't check off the first and most crucial part of the list.
A man who loves and follows Jesus.
This all seems so silly considering we have never talked about this together, and I've never been on a date with him. I may be overreacting to my thoughts and emotions when nothing has even happened yet. But that's exactly the point. You have to know now what you will do in a situation like this. You have to know now what you will say. You can't wait until he proposes to think, Hmm, maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all. You can't wait to decide to follow Jesus' will for you after you fall in love, or after you get marred, or after you have children. You have to decide to obey and be equally yoked now. Otherwise you're just in for a heartbreak. And I think mine already did.
