In today’s dating culture, something sacred has been lost. Relationships that were once built on mutual respect, shared values, and a desire to build a future together have now become transactional exchanges riddled with entitlement, confusion, and spiritual emptiness. The pursuit of love has been replaced by the pursuit of personal gain—and both men and women are caught in a dangerous cycle that distorts God’s original design.
The Dating Game Has Changed
We now live in an era where many modern dating expectations are driven by unspoken demands. A man is expected to pay for the meal—even if the woman invited him. Ordering the most expensive items on the menu, bringing children along unannounced, or expecting lavish gestures on the first date has become normalized in many circles. At the same time, phrases like “my money is mine and your money is ours” reveal a dangerous double standard that poisons the roots of trust and partnership.
Men, on the other hand, often seek validation through wealth, status, or deception—pretending to be something they’re not to gain affection or control. Both genders are being discipled not by the Word of God, but by a culture that glorifies selfishness and superficiality.
The Double Standards We Avoid Talking About
In this culture:
- Women are praised for independence but expect traditional privileges.
- Men are condemned for wanting standards, while being told to “man up” regardless of emotional strain.
- A father who holds his home accountable is called toxic, while a mother who leaves is often praised for being “strong” and “independent.”
- Physical appearances are judged with imbalance: an out-of-shape man is shamed, while an out-of-shape woman is celebrated as “curvy” or “confident.”
This isn’t equality—it’s confusion. And confusion breeds resentment, isolation, and heartbreak.
God’s Way Is Different
God never designed love to be a competition of entitlements or an exchange of demands. He created love to be sacrificial, respectful, and holy. In 1 Corinthians 13, the Bible says love is patient, kind, not self-seeking, and it keeps no record of wrongs. Yet modern dating often celebrates the opposite: pride, entitlement, vengeance, and shallow gratification.
We are constantly told we “deserve” something—love, attention, luxury, validation—but rarely told what we owe one another: humility, honor, and spiritual maturity.
A Call to Return
We need to thrive on less dating culture—less games, less entitlement, less deception—and instead thrive on Godly connection, clarity, and commitment.
Let us stop seeking people to fill the voids we’re too afraid to give to God. Let us stop expecting others to make us whole when only Christ can. Let us stop using dating as a means of selfish gain and instead see relationships as a sacred opportunity to reflect God’s love.
Final Thought
Until we lay down the lies of the world and pick up the truth of God, dating will continue to destroy rather than build. But if we return to His way—where love is holy, mutual, and rooted in Him—we won’t just survive modern relationships. We’ll thrive.
“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind…” – Romans 12:2
“Let all that you do be done in love.” – 1 Corinthians 16:14
Thrive on Less 
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