Who you marry matters a lot. The good news is there are many objective criteria that will help you select the best mate, especially with Christian dating. If you base your choice on our principles, you'll have a much better chance of enjoying a satisfying marriage than if you gamble your life (quite literally) on a storm of emotion that you're sure will never end (but always does).

In Christian dating, if your marital match is too similar in personality with you, you're likely to have more difficulty, not less. For a Christian dating with "ideal" match, some things you'll want to have in common; in other areas you should be complete opposites.

The successes of Christian dating matches and even marital relationships are usually between people of opposite birth orders. Birth order influences the way one relate to others, especially those of the opposite sex.

God as first in your life. Need I say more in Christian dating? Be prepared for a Christian marriage. Read the Bible. Attend a church you feel comfortable with. Study God's wisdom for marriage, husbands and wives.

Know Yourself. In Christian dating, it is important to take the time to make any necessary changes you may need so that you can become a good partner to someone. You cannot be happy in any marriage without first being happy yourself.

Know what you need. You must know what your needs are so that you can communicate them to a potential partner. These are the things you cannot compromise on, not even with Christian dating. Find out whether the two of you can meet these needs for each other.

Learn to accept the warning signals you feel while dating someone. The realization that someone you are dating is not your "special someone" is half the battle. You could spend a lifetime trying to make a relationship work that essentially, would never work. If it's not "right", respect yourself and that person enough to let go. Both of you deserve a happy life.

Don't live in fear about the possibilities that you may be single in your lifetime. Fear breeds insanity while being involved with Christian dating. You can make very foolish decisions if this fear takes over. Fill your life with the things that make you happy and that will help you to bring success on your Christian dating endeavor.

Excessive drinkers, substance abusers and the like, are "NOT AVAILABLE" for a committed relationship. These individuals need help and the disease or diseases make them, for the moment, unable to sustain a healthy relationship. It is impossible by God's standards to worship anything above Him! God must always come first. This also holds true with Christian dating. This type of "relationship" will only prove to hurt you over and over again. Always encourage, as much as possible, that they seek the help they so deserve, so that one day they can experience the life that God has intended for them.

Seek a good reputable christian counselor, if possible, to assist you in making the right decision. Marriage is a, COMMITMENT, for LIFE. You owe it to yourself to make the best possible decision. Finding the right mate and making an lifetime commitment to that person is a wonderful gift from God.

Remember, even in Christian dating, it's easy to find the "wrong mate", it takes knowing oneself, steadfast prayer and patience, to find the right one. Fill your life with all the things you love, read your Bible then you will be able to follow God's will for your life.