Proverbs 18:22
He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the LORD.
I attended a church once whose motto was "major on the major, minor on the minors". What they meant by that is that as far as their theological beliefs were concerned, they allowed themselves to take a stance on what was truly significant in the Christian Theology, and decided to allow the smaller theological opinions up to each individual. No need to get bogged down by the small things.
In a sense, I view finding a relationship the same way. Let me explain what I mean by that.
Many times, Christian young men and women have either two views in finding a relationship:
1. They are looking to marry the embodiment of Jesus Christ himself
2. They don't really believe they should set their standards "too high" and have unrealistic expectations- so they don't have any at all.
In my opinion, both views are absolutely detrimental.
I believe it's important for an individual to have standards in what they are looking for. If you know yourself, you should know what you need....but I suppose there's an unspoken prerequisite to the previous statement- you need to actually know yourself. The first step to really knowing what you need is knowing yourself.
Learning about your personality, your flaws, your background, your weaknesses and strengths. Solidifying your passions, your dreams, your goals and your purpose. Knowing your faith, your belief system, your values and standards.
The things that are important to you need to stay important to you in looking for love- in other words, major on the majors. Don't settle for anything less than a 10 out of 10.
As far as the minors go on the other hand....cut yourself some slack. Does your husband have to be 6 foot 4 with blonde curly hair? Does your wife have to be an incredible cook and have a fantastic singing voice? Do they have to listen to Cold Play and carry a pocket bible everywhere they go? Honestly....for some, preferences are important, but if anything- learn to keep your options open.
The sad thing is, I see many young men and women who do just the opposite- they major on the minors, and minor on the majors- letting things slide in relationships, allowing compromising values and standards to slowly creep into their lives....things that could absolutely destroy a future marriage.
So for those who are currently struggling in their relationships- tossing around questions of doubt- ask yourself this question: are you focusing on a major, or a minor? If the answer is a major...it's time to throw your little fish back into the sea, having faith that God will send you the right one....in due time.
