Boundaries. They are meant to keep you feeling safe and comfortable in your dating relationships, not to take all the fun out of dating. When communicated effectively with your partner, Christian dating boundaries can strengthen and build trust in your relationship. But how do you go about setting Christian dating boundaries together? Follow these five tips!
1. Know Your Boundaries, Emotional and Physical
Before setting Chrisitan dating boundaries with your boyfriend or girlfriend, know the boundaries important to you. These can include physical boundaries like waiting until you’re married to have sex or emotional boundaries like prioritizing time with your friends while dating to avoid “losing yourself” in the relationship. Once you’ve taken the time to consider your boundaries, it’ll be easier to communicate them with your partner.
2. Communicate Your Boundaries
Setting Christian dating boundaries is essential for both people to feel safe and comfortable in the relationship. Having the “boundaries” conversation early on will help you avoid awkward or uncomfortable situations down the road. It doesn’t have to be a super-serious conversation, but it is important to set aside time to make sure you’re both on the same page.
3. Ask Your About Partner’s Boundaries
While your boundaries are super important, so are your partner’s boundaries. So make sure to ask about and be respectful of the boundaries they share as well. And it’s okay if they are different from yours. What’s most important is that everyone feels heard and respected and that you come to an agreement on what feels right to both of you.
4. Agree on Your Christian Dating Boundaries Together
By agreeing on your Christian dating boundaries together, both of you will feel good about how the relationship is progressing. For example, if you both want to wait until marriage before having sex, communicate about what physical actions are welcomed. If you both want to prioritize time with friends, come up with a plan of how you’ll do that–like hang out together every other Saturday night and spend the time apart with friends.
5. Keep Each Other Accountable
Christian dating boundaries are only effective when they’re respected and kept. Agreeing to each other’s boundaries allows you to keep one another accountable and comfortable in the relationship. Your boundaries may change over time, and it’s important to talk about them when they do so everyone is on the same page and knows what to expect. It’s the best way to keep the relationship going strong!