First things first old things pass away and all things become new and you become a new creature if you are truly in Christ Jesus. That being said men should not care about your history if you are a born again christian if we were in a perfect world .
But since we are not in a perfect world:laugh: I am going to just go down a list of of the things that some guys might be bothered by in order of how serious they are.
1. If you have kid and are single this gives off bad signs:stop:, even if the girl was married and her husband died the guys don't usually ask about that so they just assume the usual happened(which is horrible). Rating:I'd say most guys are
affected by this.
2.If you were in a previous relationship did it break apart because you cheated on your boyfriend especially with sex outside of marriage. Rating: I'd say about half of the guys could overlook this but you would have to have a good relationship with them so they could know that Christ has really changed you.
3. And then theres the usual fornication, sex outside of marriage. Rating: If a guy falls in love with you and he finds out you have had sex outside of marriage then most guys would not be so affected by this if they could realize you've been forgiven by the blood of Jesus as long as you promise not to do it again of course :winksmile: Then there are guys that are really dogmatic about it and they will not marry anyone unless they are a virgin.
And of course this is just my opinion and I just made this up out of the clear blue sky so if anyone wants to refute me or add anything to this, don't worry I won't be offended.
Unfortunately there are many people who have had heart breaks, trials, regrets, and scars. But the good news is God not only forgives, but he heals. It takes time and effort.
As mentioned before, it really depends upon what the history contains. We are children of God, and the blood of Christ washes away all sin, no matter how much shame human stigma might place upon certain misdeeds.
That said, I find it is not necessarily the history, but the result of the history that more often turns future potential mates away. Children/STDs/Mental-Emotional "baggage" and other such consequences of days gone by are often difficult issues to deal with for many men, some of whom wouldn't even consider their faith before entering a relationship with someone who might possess any of the above or something even less obvious/drastic. It takes a man who is truly at peace with himself, his insecurities, and very deeply into the word of God to look beyond these things and continue pursuit of such a relationship.
One piece of advice I can give you, if that is what you're seeking, is to dig deeper into your relationship with the Lord. Pray for strength to be honest with any man you would consider as a future husband. Also, pray for a man of wisdom and patience, who can see with God's eyes who you really are, and can give you the relationship that the Lord originally planned for you.
Well, You are young, honestly. From the vantage point of someone who is 36, like myself, I can't imagine you have had much time to make any long term mistakes like some of us older people have.
I would worry (concern myself) more with doing things correctly in the future then focusing on a few short years of your life. You have much ahead of you, hopefully walking with the lord.
thought i'd add my thuoghts again just my opinion.
unfotunatly there is no definate answer as you have probably seen from the replies.
first and formost if you have asked God for forgiveness of your "history" he has and has erased it totaly so try not to get hung up on it forgive yourself and move on.
it sould not be a problem for a guy we all have a past we have all made mistakes.
if he really loves you it souldent be a problem.
hope thi helps and you find the man of your dreams.
The reality is there will be that one Christian guy or gal who
can't get past their love interests past, but for the most part
genuine Christians whose hearts overflow with compassion
and understanding will move forward with you into the
future and fate of your relationship, especially if the bond is
Divinely connected and your life's goals and purpose are
on a similar track.
How much you share of your past and when you should
decide to reveal intimate truth are two important factors you
should consider with any potential life mate you may date.
All Christians are called to higher standards of ethics and morality so honesty will be necessary during all phases of your courtship and it's a two way committment. The more
open you can be, the better it usually is for the stability
and success of your relationship.
Most people have a dating past whether it's before they gave their life to Christ or after and unfortunately it's pretty rare for Christians being absolutely pure. Also, it's probably even rarer for men and women being called into absolute chasity and to retreat into solitude for the rest of their spiritual journey.
You history is part of who you are and part of what makes you who you are...
Any great person of history or the bible are known throughout time because of their "past history"... but there's more.
In my opinion its not so much if you have past history or even what your past history is but what really matters is how you "dealt" with it at the time and how you are "dealing" with it now.
For every situation you can respond any number of ways. some will make you stronger, more mature and more the person God created you to be. But for that same situation you can also respond in ways that will make you an angry person, a bitter person, a fearful person.
I am not so concerned about the history but how it is dealt with.
You can use your history to your advantage. I have done or been around people who have done anything you can imagine and more. But I am completely sold out to God now. If He can change me, He can change anyone. I have been forgiven of so much, how could I judge you, or anyone, for what they have done?
God causes it to rain on the just and the unjust.
In this way God demonstrates His own love for us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. This is probably my favorite scripture. He sent His Son to die for people who despised Him, or at the very least, did not care about Him at all. We should think about that love when we start to judge others!
I care about it big time. I always ask these things up front, so as not to waste each other's time, if there are things in your past that I don't want in a potential wife of mine.
