Dating While Devoted: God, Lust, and the Wait

🎙️ Resilient Faith Podcast Miniseries: Built on the Rock
EPISODE 2: “Dating While Devoted: God, Lust, and the Wait”
Hosted by Carrie Davis | Featuring Michael D. Davis-Thomas
Produced by MDDTSpeaks Media

What does it mean to date while devoted? In a world where hookups are easier than healing and standards are often sacrificed for attention, this episode tackles the real tension between honoring God and navigating the emotional landmines of modern dating.

In Episode 2 of Built on the Rock, host Carrie Davis and guest/co-host Michael D. Davis-Thomas, CEO/Founder of MDDTSpeaks and host of the Resilient Faith Podcast, take us deep into the heart of spiritually-centered relationships. This isn’t a “Christian dating advice” episode—it’s an unapologetically honest conversation about lust, loneliness, spiritual boundaries, trauma, discernment, emotional sobriety, and waiting well.

Michael and Carrie dismantle the myths of godly dating being boring or repressive and instead frame it as a form of spiritual protection and emotional maturity. They address how trauma can distort clarity, why silence and secrecy in relationships can be spiritual warfare, and how to differentiate between desire and discernment when it comes to love and lust. 

🔥 “If they’re fine, saved, and toxic—that’s still a no. Being equally yoked means more than just claiming Jesus. It’s about whether their life reflects Him.” – Michael D. Davis-Thomas

Whether you're single, dating, waiting, healing, or reevaluating what love even looks like for you—this episode will convict, challenge, and comfort you all at once. You’ll walk away with a clearer picture of what it means to be anchored in God before ever swiping right.

Key Talking Points

• Why God must be at the center before any romantic connection
• Spiritual identity and emotional sobriety in dating
• The difference between desire and discernment
• Boundaries as protection—not punishment
• Recognizing red flags we often spiritualize
• The impact of trauma, casual sex, and secrecy on spiritual alignment
• Navigating loneliness, lust, and the longing for love without compromising your call

Featured Scriptures & Contexts

• Proverbs 4:23 – “Above all else, guard your heart...”
  → Hebrew root for “heart” means your full inner self: mind, will, emotions.
• 2 Corinthians 6:14 – “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers...”
  → Paul was speaking to spiritual alignment, not just spiritual labels.
• Song of Solomon 2:7 – “Do not awaken love until the time is right...”
  → An ancient warning against rushing emotional and physical intimacy.

Reflection Prompts📝 Journaling:

• What patterns am I calling “preference” that are really unhealed trauma?
• Am I emotionally attached or spiritually aligned?
• Have I awakened love too soon out of fear of being alone?

🙏🏽 Prayer:

“Lord, align my heart with Your truth. Heal what I hide. Guard me from counterfeits and distractions. Teach me to wait with expectation—not desperation—and to recognize Your voice over my own desires. Amen.”

Action Items for Listeners

• Reevaluate your dating boundaries through the lens of God’s Word
• Hold yourself accountable to the emotional and spiritual fruit of your choices
• Examine who’s in your life: do they push you toward God or pull you away?
• Reflect on your waiting season: is it refinement or resistance?
• Share this episode with someone silently struggling with dating in faith

Host Notes

Carrie Davis and Michael D. Davis-Thomas are unfiltered, faithful, and fearless in this conversation—reminding us that if God’s not first, everything else falls apart. Their synergy, scriptural depth, and lived experience offer a roadmap for listeners ready to date with intentionality, maturity, and most importantly, resilient faith.

🎧 Listen now on Apple, Spotify, Google, or wherever you get your podcasts. Don’t forget to rate, review, and share to help us reach more people navigating love, loss, and faith in a complicated world.