Melissa Plantz

It seems like it is becoming harder to maintain integrity in today’s society. Social platforms and other media expose us to images and behaviors rapidly becoming the norm that goes against Godly living. So how do you continue to be a Christian while being single today, especially in the dating world? Being Single in the 21st Century More and more people are choosing to remain single longer as they focus on their education and pursue careers. But unfortunately, many also engage in long-term monogamous relationships instead of marriage. In some of these cases, people have felt pressured to conform to society’s norms. For example, a woman dreams of having a large wedding wearing a beautiful glittering gown and marrying the love of her life, giving him her virginity on her wedding night. But as the woman graduates high school and university and begins her career, she feels pressured to date more. Next, her friends tease her for not taking the next step with her boyfriend. She becomes confused and rationalizes her feelings for her boyfriend, eventually having sex with him. They maintain this relationship for a year before they break up. The woman meets someone new months later, and the cycle starts again. This is a common scenario because society no longer encourages marriage as the step before sex. Instead, it has become commonplace to have premarital sex and to move in with someone to gauge capability. But there was a reason God encouraged people to marry first; to avoid sexually transmitted diseases and to maintain morality. You do not have to devalue your integrity. Instead, you can face temptations and stand up to people. To do this you will need to be strong in your faith and stay deep in God’s word and prayer. The following is a [...]