1 Timothy 4:12
{These are all my opinions. I understand that people may not agree with everything in this post.}
Singleness is a very important time on someone's life. This is when we should focus on our relationship with the Lord and growing closer to Him. We should use this time to serve God in anyway we can. Doing this can help lay a strong foundation for our faith as we grow older and go through more trials in our life. We can devote all of our time to Christ and not have to worry about trying to please our spouse. The only One that we need to please is Jesus. We also must remember that it might not be within God's will for us to marry and we should accept it with gladness. We must never allow the thought of getting married to become our idol. We can think about it and hope for it some day but we shouldn't ever let it consume our thoughts and cause us to value marriage more than God. If it's too much of a temptation then maybe we should just force it out of our mind and look to the Lord for strength. If we're not content with being single then we should go the Word and read in 1 Corinthians 7. Paul writes about how it might just be better to avoid getting into a relationship with anyone. He thought it would be better if we stayed single as he was. "I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, it is good for them if they abide even as I" (1 Corinthians 7:8). So if we ever feel bad about not being in a relationship with someone we should remember that Paul, a man that God used to greatly influence the world, was single. In whatever stage of life we're in, whether single or married, we need to be content (1 Timothy 6:8).
Attributes
To even consider starting a relationship with someone we must first consider their attributes. These will vary from person to person but I will list my ideal attributes for a future spouse. It would be very important to be with someone that cares about your relationship with the Lord and will strengthen and encourage you in your walk with Christ. "Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend" (Proverbs 27:17). He should also care about your purity enough to protect it and not allow you two to enter into any temptation. A very important quality would be for him to put Christ above all else - including yourself. He would rather you die than to deny Jesus. Don't fall for someone that's just a 'Christian guy' but not a true man of God. Of course, it would also be nice for him to be handsome, romantic, and all those other things people usually like. Remember that this will be the person to serve God with for the rest of your life.
Courtship, Dating, Etc
The focus of any kind of relationship, whether courtship, dating, or even normal friendships, should be on Christ. We should glorify God in all things, even our relationships with other people (1 Corinthians 10:31). We can use this time to be good examples for others. "Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity" (1 Timothy 4:12). As Christians, we should keep ourselves pure and not follow the norms of society involving dating. The vast majority of young people that are dating partake in physical relationships. We shouldn't follow their example. 1 Timothy 5:22 says that we should "neither be partaker of other men's sins: keep thyself pure." Also, we shouldn't be involved in recreational dating but in dating with the intent to marry. The following is a quote that I came across on the internet that sums it up nicely (although I don't know who it's from).
When in a relationship with the opposite gender we should really get to know them and spend that time communicating and evaluating. Would they really be a good spouse? A good parent? What are their beliefs, standards, goals, etc? How well are they reacting to certain situations? We need to seek the Spirit's guidance and pray about it. Concerning the actual dating part of the relationship, I believe that it's a good thing to have chaperones, especially in private situations. We should do anything we can to resist temptations, even if it means to literally run away. "Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart" (2 Timothy 2:22). I don't think it's wrong to go out to eat or go on a walk without a chaperone every once in a while, but it would make it so much more special to finally be completely alone with the other person right after the wedding. Your entire family should be a very big part of the relationship. It might be a good idea to invite the person over for a meal with the family or some special activity with the family. I don't think it would be smart to only go out with the other person without really involving your family in any of the relationship. Some ideas for dates to keep the focus on Christ could be to go pass out tracts and spread the Gospel together, pray and study God's Word together, sing to the Lord together, or go serve the Lord together by visiting the sick or helping the poor. Another important thing is to save the intimate part of the relationship until after the wedding. Maybe hugs should be limited and the first kiss should be saved for the wedding - it would make things just seem so much more special. If you remain pure and even save your first kiss for your wedding then you won't have regrets, you'd be glad you chose to save intimacy for marriage.
Marriage
The wedding itself should magnify God. Some brides seem to get spoiled and think it's all about them but I challenge you and myself to put Christ first on our wedding day (and every day). I think it would also be suitable to read Song of Solomon together on your honeymoon and still, even on your honeymoon, keep Christ the focus. Marriage should be used to serve and glorify God. “The point isn't to grow old with your husband. That’s not the point. The point is to glorify God with what we've been given down here"(Gracia Burnham). Marriage is also for raising families and teaching them to follow Christ. The relationship between a husband and wife is like the relationship between Christ and His bride, the church. There's a multitude of verses in the Bible that refers to how the relationship between a husband and wife should be and how they should love and respect each other. As young people, we should prepare ourselves to be a suitable husband or wife for our future spouse. It is vital to pray for our future concerning things such as marriage.