Relationship Rules To Live & Die By

Being a youth pastor isn't always the fun and games it appears to be. Those in ministry know that while we have the most fun job in the world, we're often faced with heartbroken students dealing with any number of major issues. In my experience, a large portion of those students are dealing with relationship issues casued by a warped view of what a healthy, Godly relationship should look like.

The following is a "top ten" list put together by myself and some of my youth ministry volunteers to help encourage students to make the best choices possible in their relationships.

1. If you have to use lust to get someone’s attention, you’ll have to use a lot more to keep them.

2. You aren’t a body to be used.

3. If they don’t respect every part of you in every way, they don’t deserve the memory it takes your phone to store their number.

4. Never attempt to live by a human definition of what your relationship should be. The moment we add our definition to something God designed, it’s wrong.

5. You were designed and created by the very God, the all powerful being who has always existed and loves you.

6. You aren’t truly in love unless you’re giving more than you’re taking. If we have the proper understanding of respect within a relationship, we’ll always be giving more than we’re taking.

7. If “I love you” is a way to gain something, it’s not love.

8. You are not made a man or made a woman by any standard other than that of God’s.

9. We were designed to compliment each other in relationship, not complete. If you’re identity is found in a relationship and not Christ, you’re doing it wrong.

10. If you have to use lust to get someone’s attention, you’ll have to use a lot more to keep them.