The age-old question: can you have friends of the opposite sex? What about if you’re married or in a relationship?
Yes! But…
Being married changes things. It changes our lifestyle, our priorities, our friendships. If you have friends of the opposite sex and are married, it is wise to set boundaries in those friendships. Jackie and Bobby explain how to do this in a charitable way.
If you are not married but plan to be someday, and have friendships with the opposite sex that you value, are there steps you can take now to smoothen the transition once marriage approaches? This advice may be hard, but in the end it will be better for all those involved, and your spouse will thank you.
This is not to say, of course, that you need to cut off all friendships with the opposite sex when you are married. In fact, those friendships can even be strengthened by inviting your spouse into them and enjoying them in the context of married life.
Fr. Mike touches upon similar points in his video on setting boundaries in friendships. Jackie also covers similar ideas in her video on the Christian response to attraction.
