Dating with a purpose

“Dating with no intent to marry is like going to the grocery store with no money. You either leave unhappy or take something that is not yours.” This quote by Jefferson Bethke perfectly describes how I look at dating. Many people see dating as a trend that they have to be a part of constantly. They do not seem to care whether or not the person is the right one for them; they just feel the need to be in a relationship all the time. I view dating in a completely different way. I believe people should date with a purpose in mind and that being marriage. Without marriage being the eventual purpose, there is no true intent and a couple ends up wasting a lot of time dating for no reason. Now days, I see many children in 7^th grade or younger dating. If they are not getting married for at least six or seven years, why are they even dating? I believe that teenagers feel the need to have a significant other because our culture has made dating look “cool” and by dating, it may increase your popularity. But over half of the time due to dating without a purpose, hearts are broken, friends are lost, and because break-ups are common with dating, the pattern often continues with marriages, resulting in numerous divorces. I honestly believe if our culture quit putting the pressure on young teens to be in a relationship, we would have a lot less broken hearts and more long-lasting marriages.