What's a princess to do about knights, squires, and pages?

Knights in shining armor, white horses, and beautiful princesses waiting in their fathers’ castles symbolize the dreams of many little girls. They long to someday meet and fall in love with their own Prince Charming and live happily ever after. Until then, with so many knights, squires, and pages coming to and from the castle each day, many opportunities will arise for these princesses to make casual friendships with these young men. As they seek to save their hearts wholly for the handsome prince that God has chosen for them, what convictions should these maturing princesses have to guard themselves and their future?

The convictions that we, as young women, have in the area of casual friendships with guys are vitally important because they will direct the course of our future. As daughters of the King of Kings, our convictions should hold us to the highest standard and should reflect the character of our Heavenly Father. Seeking the Lord’s direction and keeping our thoughts and motives pure in the friendships that we have will enable us to save our hearts for our future husbands and glorify God by our actions.

In Scripture, Timothy is one example of a young person who carefully used the relationships in his life for good. Timothy was a young man with the great responsibility of encouraging and shepherding a growing Christian congregation. As a leader, other people would especially be watching the friendships that he made and the way that he treated those around him. The apostle Paul advised Timothy to “rebuke not an elder, but intreat him as a father; and the younger men as brethren; the elder women as mothers; the younger as sisters, with all purity.” I Timothy 5:1-2.

The wise fatherly advice that Paul gave to Timothy about relationships applies to us as Christian young ladies as well. Each one of us is a leader, and whether we realize it or not, other people are watching the friends that we hang out with and the way that we act while we are around them. By observing my own friends and the friendships that they have made, I have been better able to make my own convictions about casual friendships with guys.

Personally, I have found that staying in groups and spending time together as families is one of the best ways for me to keep casual friendships casual. Also, as I stay under my parents’ authority, I have the added benefit of their wisdom and guidance. God has designed my parents and my family structure for my protection. Since all of my “guy” friends are friends of the family, I am free to be myself and treat all of them as I would my brothers in Christ.

One note of caution that I would give to my sisters in Christ is that, even with casual guy/girl friendships, one or the other can easily be emotionally hurt if we are not careful. I have seen it happen in the lives of some of my friends, and that emotional wounding is not the best that God would have us experience. Keeping our thoughts, actions, and motives pure will help us to better be able to save ourselves for our future husbands and also will give us a clear conscience in case others’ feelings are hurt in the process.

Remember that whatever convictions you choose to adopt as your own in the area of casual friendships with guys should be based on being beyond reproach, so that a stumbling block is not put in another’s way.[1] As you prayerfully consider what convictions you need to make, ask your parents for their counsel and take time to evaluate your heart to make sure it is right before the Lord. Then, be a princess whose testimony is a beautiful reflection of the character of her omniscient Sovereign and glorify Him with all that you do.

[1] See Romans 14:13, 1 Corinthians 8:9, 1 Thessalonians 4:6, and Philippians 2:15.