You want a relationship, but not just any relationship. You want a healthy Christian relationship that lasts. You can start preparing for that now by looking for someone who is “marriage material” and willing to supply these four ingredients to build a healthy Christian relationship.
1. Mutual Respect & Commitment
Mutual respect and commitment are essential for a healthy Christian relationship. Without respect, it is easy to get blinded by selfishness, being driven by your own wants or desires instead of considering the other person’s feelings and needs.
Similarly, a relationship without commitment will lack depth and consistency, leaving both parties feeling unsupported and vulnerable. Mutual respect and commitment are necessary to build a strong foundation based on trust, understanding, cooperation, forgiveness, and unconditional love that often comes with a Christian relationship.
2. Trust
Trust is essential for any and all healthy relationships. A relationship can quickly become strained without trust and perhaps even suffer irreparable damage. A lack of trust creates an environment where everyone involved has to worry and second-guess their decisions and intentions, which rapidly destroys whatever healthy connection there may have been in the first place.
Building trust takes time, patience, communication, and understanding. One of the most critical pieces is simply being content with each other: creating a bond that can stand unquestioned through thick or thin. Once a trusting bond is built, it's amazing the heights a relationship can reach–any bump in the road can be circumvented when two people are entirely comfortable relying on one another without fear of disloyalty or judgment.
3. Honesty & Communication
Open and honest communication is fundamental for a healthy Christian relationship. Both people should feel empowered to talk about their thoughts, feelings, and desires without fear of judgment or repercussions. Being honest builds trust and creates an environment where both people can feel safe knowing the other person is authentic.
It’s also essential for couples to practice effective communication—not just being honest but also listening actively and being willing to budge from your point of view if necessary. When couples don't feel heard or taken seriously by their partner, it often leads to feelings of neglected insecurities. But with honesty and communication as the key ingredients of a healthy relationship, couples can foster strong connections full of depth, understanding, and mutual respect.
4. Shared Beliefs
When two people share values, principles, and perspectives around their beliefs, it helps create unity, strengthens connectedness, and helps bind the two people together. Having the same religious beliefs also fosters open communication and understanding when it comes to making important decisions.
You can trust your partner has your best interests at heart because their values are aligned with yours. Acknowledge that beliefs are important and make sure you discuss them early on–such discussions are the foundation of a successful and healthy Christian relationship.