If you're a Christian, there are certain dating rules that apply to you.

First of all, only date believers. As a Christian, your goal should be to grow spiritually and a non-believer is only going to hold you back from that. It's easy to become lukewarm and even fall away from the Lord when you are dating a non-Christian. People that you spend a lot of time with have a big influence on you. That's why it's best to date someone who will influence you in a positive way.

Also, when you date an unbeliever, you can't share your spiritual life with him. That is a whole area of your life that he can't be a part of. When you get married, you want to share your entire life with your spouse - especially your spiritual life. It brings you so much closer.

Another reason to only date Christians is that Christian men tend to be more respectful towards women and have less tendency to abuse. A practicing Christian knows not to drink and to love his wife as Christ loved the church. A non-Christian doesn't have any moral guidelines by which to live, so he can choose to drink, use drugs, abuse women, cheat, etc. By dating a Christian man, you are less likely to end up with an alcoholic or abuser. I'm not saying that all non-Christian men are alcoholics or abusers. But in my personal experience, most of them were. And I'm not saying that Christian men don't abuse or drink. I have seen men who claimed to be Christians who did these things. Were they really Christians? Only God knows. But I believe that if a man is truly following the Lord, he will not abuse others or his body.

Secondly, no sex until marriage! I know you have heard this before and maybe you think it's baloney. But I'm going to tell you WHY you shouldn't have sex until you are married - and it's not just because the Bible says so. And it's not just to prevent unwanted pregnancy or disease - though that is a good reason to not do it. The reason you are supposed to wait is because no man has a right to that part of you until he is your husband. When you give it up beforehand, you are giving him something special that he's not supposed to have. You are cheapening yourself. And chances are, he'll take it for granted and begin to expect it. He won't respect you. He'll start acting like he owns you and bossing you around. After you have sex, he no longer has you on a pedestal, instead, you are his property. That's how he sees you.

Also, you don't have the same level of commitment when you are dating as you do when you are married. When you're dating, you could break up the next day, and then you've already given yourself away to him. Sex is meant to be a special act between two married people. It's not supposed to be casual, and it isn't, even when you approach it that way. Sex always changes things. It makes the relationship more intense, and sometimes it can make a relationship worse, especially when it's outside of marriage. The only type of relationship that should be that intense is a marriage.

Finally, and most importantly, pray about whom to date. Ask God to bring the right person into your life. You want God to pick your man this time, since you didn't do such a great job at choosing last time. The last thing you want and the last thing God wants for you is an abusive relationship. He wants you to be happy. He wants you to have a partner who loves you and treats you with respect. So pray, and trust the Lord, and follow his guidance when it comes to dating.