In Romans 12 verse 10, the Bible says, “Be devoted to one another in love. Honour one another above yourselves”. Paul was talking to the church in Rome, but this also applies to us as Christians, and I believe can also be applied to dating relationships. The word ‘honour’ means to hold in high respect, or with great esteem. It might sound like something we reserve only for God (whom we should of course, honour), our parents or spiritual leaders. But we can see from Paul’s letter that it is meant for the rest of us as well. So, how do we show honour in dating?

Trust is a very important issue in all of life, and that’s especially true in the online dating world. We message and arrange dates with people we’ve never met, we show up and spend time with a stranger and have to decide how things will develop from there. We have to be wise, savvy and make sure we are safe, and we need to know if we can or can’t trust someone for the long term. Dating is about opening up, telling people about yourself, being vulnerable – we can only do that if we truly trust someone, otherwise we will be guarded, have a barrier up and the dates will grind to a halt. But we also need to balance our boundaries and sensible self-protection. So how we can take those first impressions of someone new and grow trust while dating?

Before Leesa and Leigh met on Christian Connection they shared similar stories – both had been married before, both had children and both felt prompted by God to join just when they did. Following God’s lead, Leesa joined just in time to meet before Leigh’s subscription ended. That connection led to an unexpected declaration of love in a fast food restaurant, a wedding surrounded by family and friends and exciting plans for the future.

When it comes to romantic attraction and finding our match, we all have our preferences, ranging from height to hair colour and from career to relationship history. But these dating preferences can shrink our dating pool, and they may keep us single. Is it time to broaden our dating horizons?

Going from a simple online ‘like’ to a long-distance relationship and a marriage is no small feat! When Victoria first noticed James on Christian Connection, she knew what she was looking for and what she wanted her dating profile to say about her. Before starting her search, she was certain of one thing: “I decided that I was going to be intentional and join a Christian dating website.” She knew of Christian Connection and thought, “Let me give it a try. What have I got to lose?” She had picked the perfect moment to connect with James, though she didn’t know that when she joined. James had been a Christian Connection member for some time: “My journey was a bit longer… On and off. In fact, when I was coming towards the end of using it. That’s when Victoria and I met…”

If you’ve been single for a while, you’ll have noticed your dating and relationship priorities might have changed. The chances are, what someone is looking for in their early twenties is quite different from what they’re looking for later on, into their late twenties, thirties, forties and beyond. We all change as we get older, and our priorities when it comes to dating and relationships are likely to change too. So, how might what you’re looking for in a life partner change over time? What might you encounter at different dating life stages? And how can you plan for an amazing future no matter what your age?

Holding on to ourselves and being who we truly are in romantic relationships can be a huge challenge, especially if we’ve been waiting a long time to find love. But if we lose our personalities in the process of dating, it can be hard to find ourselves again, leading to unhealthy attachments. Wait a minute, you say. Surely, it’s called ‘falling in love’ for a reason? Isn’t it natural to lose parts of yourself as you look to join your life with another person? Like anything, it’s about balance.

Sometimes when dating, you just know someone isn’t right for you for the long term and letting down gently is the next step. You find your conversations going through the same small talk – again; you seem to be too different in key areas; practically it won’t work; the timing isn’t right, or that all-important growing connection just isn’t there. However, if you decide not to pursue a relationship, it is healthy to give someone closure, to finish well and be honourable in your actions. How can you do that safely and well?