Purpose: To improve the health of marriages and families in the Siouxland area through the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
How Well Do You Know Him/Her?
Genesis 4:1
And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD. (KJV)
The Bible talks a lot about "knowing." God wants to know us. He wants us to know him. It also talks about "knowing" one special person of the opposite sex. What does the Bible mean by "knowing?" There are different levels of knowing. Level 1: We "know" what some one looks like by facial recognition. Movie stars and the characters they play, we know their physical appearance. Level 2: We know our acquaintances by their personality. We know them enough to work with them in school or at a job. Some acquaintances we do not like. Level 3: We know our friends in a deeper way. We know their tastes, their dislikes, we spend time with them. We know how to talk with them about the good and the bad. They connect with us. Level 4: Two people know one another in marriage. Two people who are married know each other best as acquaintances, as friends, as companions, and lastly, they know each other intimately and sexually. Hence, the greatest intimacy is much more than sex. Intamacy is all four levels together!
In dating it is best to work to get to start with level 1 and move through 2 & 3 to the point of close friendship and to stay away from knowing in such a way that produces kids. Going through the mechanical actions of sex actually does not get to know a person at all, other than they have a sex drive. Sex is designed for the commitment and protection of marriage which protects such intimacy and the family God may bless out of it. A good rule to live by is to do things that would help you become friends. Your date should be able to interact with your friends. It is always a bad sign if two people become so consumed that they lose all their existing friends.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, help me to find the one you want me to know. Before I am married help me to get to know many people as acquaintances and friends. If it is your will help me to find some one to especially know for life long. Forgive me when my thoughts, words and deeds have strayed and gotten this knowing out of order. Amen