A Good Word...

From His blog, Douglas Wilson gives the following questions for a man or woman to learn from a prospective husband or wife before stepping toward marriage with them. Andreas Kostenberger adds the following, "Increasingly, it is recognized once again that parents in general, and fathers in particular, have a responsibility to guide their sons and daughters in the area of finding a spouse...what is important is not so much the exact questionnaire or sequence of questions but the recognition that fathers and parents have a Biblical obligation to guide and protect their sons and daughters in this vulnerable and exceedingly important area of their lives. Here, then, is a list of questions for a prospective husband or wife:

1. Are you a Christian? Tell me your testimony about how you came to faith in Christ. Tell me also about you current reading & devotional life.
2. What is your church & denominational background? Which churches have you attended in the past, & where currently?
3. Do you attend Church regularly & are you actively involved in the life and ministry of the Church? Tell me about your involvements.
4. Tell me about your family. What kind of lifestyle are you accustomed to? How would you describe your parents' marriage and what was it like growing up in your family?
5. What is your relationship with your mom & Dad, & how are you getting along w-your brothers and sisters?
6. How would you describe your work ethic? How many jobs have you had in your life, and what was your experience?
7. What is your current occupation, what are your vocational goals, and what do you see yourself doing ten years from now?
8. Do you have any debt? If so, what kind of debt and how much? How do you make financial decisions? What kind of standard of living do you hope to have?
9. Tell me about your experience in school. What are your educational goals and how are you planning to go about meeting them?
10. Is there anything in your background that, if i knew it, might make me less likely to approve of your spending time with my son or daughter? Have you ever been in trouble with the law? For men: Do you struggle w-Pornography. For women: Do you believe in dressing and behaving modestly?
11. God willing, are you hoping to have children one day? For young men: How do you plan to support a family? How do you see your role in relation to your future wife? For women: Do you enjoy exercising hospitality? Do you like Children? How do you see your role in relation to your future husband?
12. What attracts you to my son or daughter? What do you think you have to offer to this relationship? What do you think is God's will in this regard and how do you know?