holding her heart

Friends (especially guys), please don't take relationships lightly-- especially romantic ones. Yeah, hormones and feelings are hard to fight, but there's a reason why now is not the right time to dwell in them. Many of you are sick of waiting, but it's the waiting that pays off in the end. As time passes by, we only get more mature (most of the time); our eyes are opened to see the amount of responsibility needed in order to hold the heart of someone else. What you feel and maybe 'have' now may feel good, but without a longer and more realistic perspective (like hm, marriage, maybe? and will / can you really keep that relationship intact for the 5-6 years that you have of school left?) in mind and in sight, what is the reason but out of self-fulfillment? Now keeping your eye and heart ultimately on marriage isn't bad; however, making it an idol and distraction from what our focus should be isn't right. Don't blind yourself or give yourself a license to dabble in the affections of another right now by promising yourself marriage in the end because nothing is certain. Marriage should certainly be the end goal of any relationship, but don't spend your time playing around with the heart of someone who may not even be your spouse in the end. You're not only wasting precious time that you could be spending crafting your own heart to be fit for the person God has made for you, but you're also leading yourself and the other person down a path that could potentially harm the two of you and leave scars and awkwardness that will be hard to undo. Don't make promises you don't know you can keep.

Brothers, lastly, it is a man's duty to cherish, guide, hold, and protect, not deceive, misguide, or mislead a woman's heart. Treat her with respect, honor, and humility. Don't dwell in perverse speech or actions no matter how 'fun' it is (Ephesians 5:3-4). Be a man worthy of marrying. Yet furthermore, it is of utmost importance that in any relationship a man points to and promotes above all the example of Jesus Christ's love seen upon the cross. That is the key to a relationship that strives to glorify God. It is His love that should be exemplified in any relationship. 

(Most of these points are from the CC messages on relationships, so they should sound a little familiar)