The Importance of Date Night
Fostering a loving relationship with your spouse is important to God. Proverbs 5:18 talks about continuing to keep your love alive, saying "May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth."
But the stressors of daily life can make rejoicing in your spouse difficult. Below, we discuss why setting aside time for date nights is a healthy practice and tips for planning date nights when you have kids or are going out with other couples.
8 Benefits Of An Uninterrupted Date Night
There are many advantages of having regular, uninterrupted date nights with your spouse, including:
Strengthening Your Relationship
Date nights can help you and your spouse reconnect emotionally, even in the midst of a hectic life. This strengthens your relationship and helps you better navigate arguments in times of distress.
Breaking The Routine
Work, kids, school, and chores can be exhausting and it can sometimes feel like you’ll never get out of the rut. Regular date nights can help you break out of the routine.
Reducing Stress
Getting out of the house, especially when you have kids, is a great way to slow down, relax, and reduce stress. Plan slow, lazy dates without time constraints and allow yourself to just enjoy being in each other’s company without having demands placed on you.
Fostering Romance
Date nights can help you and your spouse feel more like a couple instead of roommates, business partners, or parents. Make sure your dates include time to connect physically too - when the time feels right for both of you. This can include activities like holding hands, maintaining eye contact for an extended period of time, cuddling on the couch, massages, intimacy, etc.
Building Memories
Good memories are the foundation of your relationship. Don’t rely on early memories to get you through years of marriage. You need to put effort into continually building good memories over time, and regular date nights can help you do that.
Improving Mental Health
Getting away and reconnecting with your spouse can help relieve feelings of depression and anxiety when life feels like it’s getting overwhelming. You can put your problems and responsibilities out of your mind for a short time so you can meet your emotional and physical needs with your spouse. This helps improve your mental health and spiritual well-being.
Investing In Your Future
God wants you to have a bright and fulfilling future. Jeremiah 29:11 says "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'" Regular date nights are an investment into the future of your marriage, which serves as a cornerstone for your faith and family.
Having Fun
Last but not least, date nights are fun. You deserve a chance to get out with your spouse and enjoy life’s little luxuries. Dates break up the monotony of meeting daily responsibilities and can give you the opportunity to have a little fun and excitement from time to time.
Date Night Tips for Couples With Kids
Planning date nights when you have kids can be a challenge. Here are our tips for navigating dates with little ones:
- Have a date night at home. Hire an in-home sitter or wait until the kids go to bed and put on a movie. Or, cook a special dinner together and enjoy it by candlelight.
- Plan a picnic. Let the kids run and play while you and your spouse enjoy wine and cheese by the park. This lets everyone meet their emotional and physical needs in a way that still allows you and your spouse a few moments alone.
- Negotiate with friends. If you have friends with kids, consider arranging date night “trade-offs” where one set of parents watches both sets of kids and vice versa. This gives each couple time to themselves without having to spend money on a babysitter.
It’s important not to let having kids get in the way of keeping your romance alive. Mark 10:9 says “Therefore, what God has joined together, let no one separate,” and this includes your children. Make sure you’re setting enough time aside for you and your spouse to feel like more than just parents.
Tips For Enjoying Date Nights With Other Couples
Going out on dates with other Christian couples is a great way to get the benefits of connecting with your spouse and having friendly social interactions at the same time. Here are some tips for double dating as a married spouse:
- Have a game night. Instead of going out, plan a night in with a few couples. You can play board games, enjoy food and drinks, and let the kids play outside or in another part of the house while you and the other couples relax and have fun.
- Go outside. If you have a large group, head outside to the park, pool, or even a campsite for some outdoor fun when the weather permits.
- Do large group activities. Try out fun games or activities that aren’t as much fun with fewer people, like laser tag, bowling, or mini golf.
Double dates are also a great way to rekindle your relationship if you haven’t been on a date in a while or if you’ve been on the rocks. It takes some of the pressure off of you and your spouse to engage with one another and helps defuse tense situations.
Regular Date Nights Honor God
Remember that loving your spouse is also loving God and whatever you do for them, you are doing for Christ Jesus himself. (Matthew 25:40). By setting time aside for your spouse to show them how much you love and care for them, you’re honoring God’s will and commandments for your life.
“No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.” – 1 John 4:12
Chicago Church of Christ welcomes you to our worship services and to become a part of our church family. Visit one of our locations today to see what building a faith-based foundation for your life can do for your family.
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