Dear Prof. Joe,

Where in the Bible does it talk about God having only one mate for each of us OR what scriptures come closest if God has like a handful of possible options?

Sarah

Dear Sarah,

You are asking if things work out like at the end of the movie “Sleepless in Seattle” because they were predestined to or do people end up together because of the persistence of a character, like the end of “Good Will Hunting”? As Christians, I believe that we can answer this question either way. However my personal opinion leans more towards the idea that we make a relationship what it is, and that love requires devotion and a decision. Because the Bible was written in the context of ancient civilizations where your parents chose your mate for you, we don’t find any verses about dating to find that perfect mate that God has predestined for us to be with. However, we do find quite a lot of verses that remind of us our own personal choice and responsibility in making a godly relationship. Here are some that come to mind: Ephesians 5:31-33, 1 Corinthians 7:36-38 and Mark12:18-27.

I also suggest that you pick up Aaron Stern’s series called ONE + ONE at the merch table or online. There is great insight on the subject of finding the right spouse.

Prof. Joe