A4P Guest: I am 24 years old and my boyfriend is 27. We’ve been together for over eight months. He proposed to me last week and I am super excited.

A4P: Congratulations! I’m happy for you!

A4P Guest: Yeah! Thank you! So, coming back to my question, I grew up in church and my parents, both of them, are heavily involved in the church ministries. Their hope and dream is to see me getting involved in a ministry like them but I am not interested and I told them that clearly. Now they not only want me to get involved in a ministry but they also want me not to marry my boyfriend.

A4P: Why not?

A4P Guest: Well, my boyfriend is not coming to church.

A4P: Oh, he goes to a different church?

A4P Guest: No. He doesn’t go to church. He is not a church kinda guy.

A4P: Oh, what does that exactly mean?

A4P Guest: You know how we all are different? He is just different person. He is a nice guy and everything but he is not a spiritual person.

A4P: Let me try to make your point clear. So, you want to marry a man who doesn’t believe in Jesus Christ and your parents are not thrilled with the idea and you wonder why. Am I right?

A4P Guest: Kinda. I mean, my boyfriend knows about Jesus. He is just not a church kinda guy.

A4P: Are you? Are you a church kinda girl?

A4P Guest: I am afraid not.

A4P: So, what is your question for me exactly?

A4P Guest: To tell you the truth, I am not sure. Maybe what I need to do to get my parents accept my boyfriend.

A4P: Hun, listen to me carefully. You’re 24 years old, not 4 years old. Your life is your life, not your parents’. At the end of the day, you are the one who is going to live with your decision, not your parents. One thing I want to tell you as a mother of three children is that parents always desire the best for their children. That being said let me add this: Your parents may not accept your decision to marry a man who doesn’t follow Jesus Christ but one thing your parents may probably need to know is the fact that you, their daughter, is not a believer in Jesus Christ. So, I think you need to make this fact clear to them. Tell them that you don’t believe in Jesus Christ. In that way, they may change their prayer from “Lord Jesus, please make our daughter a minister” – to – “Lord Jesus, please help our daughter and her boyfriend to know You and fall in love with You.” ///