The UK Christian Singles Community.

Before you start considering a life with someone, you really need a strong understanding of what you think you want, not just in the relationship but in your life in total. If you are young, some of this will be trial and error and that is one of the reasons marriage is risky. Many times we discover what we want by way of experiencing what we don’t. But the more you do some internal investigation over what makes you happy, what you respect in others and what you would like your life to be like, the better your chances are at choosing a mate wisely. There’s some work to do ahead of a marriage discussion to ensure you are both on the same or similar page.

Talk about what you want out of life. Is the lady you are seeing is career driven and you really envisioned a stay-at-home mom (or vice versa)? Do you love travel, but your boyfriend is more of a homebody?

Talk about your past relationships, what went wrong, what went right. Get an idea of what they want in your current relationship and what really caused problems in the past for them and their ex. Encourage honesty.

Talk about children. Is your potential spouse on the fence about having a family? If this is a must for you, consider what will happen if, in the long-term, they decide they don’t want kids.

Talk about faith. Are you a church every Sunday kind of guy and your girlfriend is a hit and miss churchgoer? Are you of different denominations and you assume your children will be raised in yours?

Have them meet your friends, not once but several times in a variety of situations. Be sure you are still going out with friends without your beau, to find out how they feel about you having time apart. If there is reluctance at this point, that may continue in the marriage.

Take your partner out socially and in a variety of situations. Are you a thrill seeker? Ask them to an amusement park. A book nerd? Invite them to a bookstore. Keep in mind that it isn’t imperative that you share every interest! But, some shared interests is the grounds for a strong companionship.

There are many facets of building a strong relationship. These are just a few. Continue checking the Divine Match website and blog for more insights into dating, marriage and relationship.