9 Ways to Navigate Relationships with Christian Values

The Christian college experience is full of new adventures — from days filled with learning and exploring the path to your calling to participating in extracurricular activities, pursuing internships, and more. Another element that makes college so meaningful is establishing new relationships — some that may last far beyond your last day on campus. However, navigating relationships with Christian values — whether those relationships are platonic or romantic — can come with questions and challenges.

After all, being a Christian student at a Christian university like DBU doesn't automatically mean that you're fully equipped with the Christian relationship strategies you need. Seeking fellowship and wisdom to strengthen your relationship with the Lord is essential.

Consider this list of nine Christian relationship tips to empower you as you meet new people. These tips will help you stay intentional in seeking God and growing in your faith through the demands and challenges that relationships in college can bring.

How to Navigate Relationships as a Christian

1. Prioritize Your Relationship with the Lord

Matthew 22:37-39 commands us to "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"

It's absolutely vital to keep the Lord first in all you do. It's easy to be consumed by both the pressure and the excitement of college, as well as new relationships — but no friendship or romantic partner should come between you and your relationship with Christ. By putting Him first in your life, you'll be able to seek Godly wisdom through studying your Bible, prayer, and more.

2. Get Plugged into a Local Church

Developing a Christian community on the DBU campus is valuable, but it is also vitally important to your spiritual life that you get connected to a local church. The local church, biblically, is the primary place God has designed for you to gather for corporate worship and praise, to strengthen your faith and your relationships with others, and to serve fellow believers with your spiritual gifts.

DBU has a strong partnership with many local churches in the DFW area that are a light to their communities and on a mission to reach the world for Christ.

3. Join or Start a Prayer Group

Start believing that "friends who pray together stay together!" By surrounding yourself with a group of trusted and supportive friends and going to the Lord together in prayer, you're not just strengthening your heavenly relationship with God; you're establishing a community with like-minded brothers and sisters in Christ and building deeper connections. You'll find a greater sense of peace as you navigate any obstacles that come into your path. 

"As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another." - Proverbs 27:17 (NIV)

4. Establish Weekly Intentions

Making time to grow in a faithful community with others through church and prayer groups is incredibly important, but so are moments of personal quiet time with God in prayer and Bible study. You might consider committing to a goal for your spiritual life every week — especially as you navigate dating and new relationships. 

You might try keeping a prayer journal or following a Bible reading plan. The Dwell App and YouVersion Bible App are great tools for this. Writing out your intentions and goals will help you stay on track and remind you to make time to grow in your relationship with God.

5. Find a Godly Mentor

Just as important as it is to connect with your peers, it's also essential to seek mentorship from older advocates who have wisdom and real-world experience. We all need mentors in our lives who are further down life's path to support and encourage us, offer biblical wisdom — especially when it comes to relationships — and keep us accountable to walking in faith. 

You might consider starting with DBU's Center for Mentoring, which connects students with faculty and staff who will walk with you through your college journey, guide you in seeking God's will, and help prepare you for navigating life after college.

6. Develop Close Friendships with People who Share your Vision and Values 

You've probably heard the wise Christian dating advice to ensure you're equally yoked with your partner, which is biblically based on 2 Corinthians 6:14. In this verse, Paul is encouraging followers of Jesus that they should be wise in relationships and partnerships. When considering this teaching for romantic or dating relationships, it means that you both are pursuing  Christ and, as a result, share similar beliefs and values for your life. 

You want the people you're spending the most time with and confiding in to be a positive influence in your life — one that leads you closer to Christ, not away from Him. That's not to say you can't be friendly with everyone — indeed, you can witness to them by letting the light of Christ shine through you. Prayerfully consider who you're spending the most time with and who you choose to have in your inner circle.

7. Be Mindful of Technology

Technology is changing the way we interact with others and spend our time. That's why it's essential to be mindful about your consumption of technology, especially when it comes to social media. It can be a great resource, but it cannot replace the beauty of genuine connection. 

On the flip side, it can create many adverse effects in your life — from unhealthy comparison to being overly consumed with outward image, seeking worldly validation, and more. Be careful not to let technology negatively impede your relationship with God or block true relationships with the people around you.

8. Set Boundaries

While you may need to set your own boundaries with technology, setting appropriate boundaries with those around you is an important piece of faith-based relationship advice — especially when it comes to dating. While boundaries might seem restrictive, they are ultimately an act of love — they demonstrate your values and express how much you honor God, yourself, and the person you're dating.

9. Ask For Help

Counseling can be a wise addition to your life, especially if you're struggling with any type of relationship — be it a friendship or someone you're dating. Even when things are going well, it can be helpful to pursue counseling, so do not be afraid to ask for help. The DBU Counseling Center offers counseling at no charge to DBU students, faculty, and staff, with individual, group, premarital, and couples counseling available.

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God created His people for connection and community — whether that be in Christian friendships or Christian dating that leads to marriage. College is an incredible time to build strong relationships that provide encouragement, joy, spiritual growth, and accountability.

"Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor. If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up." - Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 (NIV)