These things, along with many other good qualities, convinced me that he would make a good husband (and father). There was a time when I looked for the Christian man with the fewest mistakes and best moral resume — the one who had been valiant and never wavered.Through meeting some godly men who didn't fit that description, I learned something: The sin committed wasn't as important as the repentance and restoration that took place afterward.

In establishing woman as man's helper, God based marriage on service. Here are five comparisons to help you focus on what's important as you seek a spouse: In 2001, a study found that 94 percent of young adults planned to marry their "soul mate," a person whom they felt was meant just for them. " Gary Thomas explains the origin of "soul mates": Our culture has embraced a rather absurd notion that there is just one person who can, in the words immortalized by Tom Cruise in Jerry Maguire, 'complete us.' This is a disastrous mindset with which to approach a lifelong marital decision."Then the Lord God said, 'It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him'" ().You always have the choice to experience our sites without personalized advertising based on your web browsing activity by visiting the DAA’s Consumer Choice page, the NAI's website, and/or the EU online choices page, from each of your browsers or devices.To avoid personalized advertising based on your mobile app activity, you can install the DAA’s App Choices app here.Many of the relationships portrayed on TV fit this description, with the characters acting romantically on their feelings.Compatibility gets past an emotional high to navigating the practicalities of daily life. Do you like being awake at the same hours of the day? To bring you the best content on our sites and applications, Meredith partners with third party advertisers to serve digital ads, including personalized digital ads.Those advertisers use tracking technologies to collect information about your activity on our sites and applications and across the Internet and your other apps and devices.As you search for a spouse, look for someone who serves and someone you can serve. These characteristics produce fruit in this life: wealth, popularity, status, a nice house, cool friends.We all notice people who "have it all." The attractive ones. But accomplishments are fleeting and say little about the person's character.But he who is forgiven little, loves little" (Luke ).Those who have stumbled often have tender hearts toward their forgiving Father.You can find much more information about your privacy choices in our privacy policy.Even if you choose not to have your activity tracked by third parties for advertising services, you will still see non-personalized ads on our site.