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How to build real relationships
Five Stages of Dating Relationships
There are at least four stages of a romantic relationship a couple should progress through towards marriage, and one more stage that influences all of them. Navigated correctly and given enough time, patience and effort, these stages of dating relationships either lead to a proper engagement at a healthy, timely point in their relationship, OR, one or both of the individuals will correctly decide it has reached a plateau and is not destined for marriage. Either way, the stages should be considered to have served a couple well, whether arriving at a mutually- accepted continuation oft he relationship, or one or both individuals deciding that their union is not meant to continue. Without taking enough time and effort to progress through each stage, the relationship faces the huge risk of premature commitment and the almost inevitable reality of huge issues and problems that will arise. The time to discover these challenges and differences in each other is before both commit themselves for life; In other words, before engagement while there is still an incentive to be gained, and while there is time for adjustments and resolution of the issues before the many additional pressures that marriage brings are thrust upon them. Unfortunately, many relationships prematurely move to engagement and, sometimes, even marriage while in the first or second stage. This creates unnecessary pressure, stress, and difficult surprises concerning the other person's weaknesses or differences of opinions which surface in the future, and the challenge and need of working though the next two or three stages after marriage. Because not enough time was allowed for significant crises and issues to arise before the two committed themselves to each other through engagement, the couple now discovers each other's character flaws, different values and perspectives, weaknesses, etc after the engagement and/or marriage. They now surface in the daily rigors and challenges that engagement and/or marriage brings. These difficult surprises require adjustments which become so great that one or both maybe tempted to terminate the engagement or marriage, causing much hurt, confusion and difficulty.
The five stages of dating relationships are influenced by…
• Age of the individuals
• History of dating
• Models of marriage each has had
• Emotional maturity
• Spiritual maturity
• Frequency of being together
• Quality of time together
• Willingness to be vulnerable and transparent
• Integrity of each individual.
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