Working out how to discuss your faith may seem daunting when meeting someone new. Even if you both share the same beliefs, you may attend different churches or be part of different denominations. The way you practice your faith day-to-day might look different. As daunting as it might be, having the ‘faith conversation’ is very important for any relationship. It can make or break a relationship if you don’t see eye-to-eye when it comes to your faith. So, how do you talk about your faith, especially in the early stages of dating?

The Bible tells us to have a ‘renewed mind’, and as in the rest of life, having the right mindset when it comes to dating is important. A wrong mindset might be holding you back from pursuing a healthy relationship. Examples of wrong mindsets include thinking dating has to only be a certain way - that you must meet your spouse ‘organically’, or only in your church - thinking you're not ‘good enough’ to date, or that you're undeserving of someone amazing. It could be thinking you only have to date a certain kind of person - within a certain age bracket, race or with a certain kind of job - or thinking you can't date outside your denomination. It is OK to have preferences, of course, but if you go into dating with the wrong mindset, you are unlikely to get the most out of it.

Easter is a time to reflect on the death and resurrection of Christ and what it means for us as Christians – Jesus taking our sins upon Himself on the cross, dying, and rising on the third day. His disciples experienced an unimaginable joy two thousand or so years ago when Jesus rose from the dead. Easter allows us to experience that joy. But the amazing thing is, Jesus wants us to know this joy every day of our lives. Perhaps your dating life leaves you not feeling so full of joy at the moment. Whatever your situation is this Easter, know that you can experience the same joy the disciples felt because the life that Jesus offers us is one of abundance, no matter our marital status.