Genesis 29:18-20

"Now Jacob loved Rachel, so he said, 'I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel.' Laban said, 'It is better that I give her to you than to give her to another man; stay with me.' So Jacob served seven years for Rachel and they seemed to him but a few days because of his love for her."

My personal takeaway from this love story is that sometimes you'll have to work for love. In this case, it was literally, but modern day life there may be other great lengths you'll have to come across that may seem large in retrospect but you won't mind because you're doing it for the one you love.

Ruth 1a, 4-8

"Then Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, 'It shall be when he lies down, that you shall notice the place where he lies, and you shall go and uncover his feet and lie down; then he will tell you what you shall do.' She said to her, 'All that you say I will do.' So she went down to the threshing floor and did according to all that her mother-in-law had commanded her. When Boaz had eaten and drunk and his heart was merry, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain; and she came secretly, and uncovered his feet and lay down. It happened in the middle of the night that the man was startled and bent forward; and behold, a woman was lying at his feet."

After Naomi urged Ruth to put matters in her own hands, she did just that. She put on her best clothes and perfume and then showed Boaz that she was interested in him lying at his feet. While this specific act of devotion may get you kicked in the throat in the modern world, it's still a good reminder that ladies need to shoot their shot too in relationships.

Song of Solomon 2:10-11

"My beloved responded and said to me, Arise, my darling, my beautiful one, And come along. For behold, the winter is past, The rain is over and gone."

The Song of Solomon, also commonly known as "The Song of Songs" is a composition of love poems so it's only befitting that some verses from this book were included on my list. Early Hebrew and Christian scholars attribute this book as an allegorical piece that not only explains God's love for mankind but shows how intense love can be between two lovers. In these verses, I love how the scene describes how the presence of a romantic partner can put even your worst days at ease, which is how things should be. It doesn't even make sense for anyone to date another person who doesn't bring them the utmost peace.

Song of Solomon 8:6-7

"Put me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm. For love is as strong as death, jealousy is as severe as Sheol; Its flashes are flashes of fire, The very flame of the Lord."

The contrast of the phrase "love is as strong as death" is a striking one, but it's further explained by the words "jealousy as severe as the grave." When I see a strong statement like this, it's understandable how accurate it can be because love is more than a feeling. It's an action and a fleeting yet powerful one at that. When it comes to real love, there's no in-between stage. It's not stagnant. It's all or nothing. It's often relentless and all-consuming. Of course, we have to look at this and be careful not to misconstrue it to the point where we praise a love that's toxic, but at the same time appreciate the fact that love is essentially like a fire.

Luke 6:31

"Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."

This command is popularly known as the "Golden Rule" given on Jesus' famous sermon on the mount. Most people look at this and see a rule of ethics that encompasses morality, but it can also be an underrated verse to apply to relationships. One thing I always like to keep in mind when dating someone especially when arguments arise is that I could easily act out, be condescending, or be petty, but how would I feel if my partner acted like that toward me? Everyone has to remember that at the end of the day, you and the person you're dating are a unit. A team.

If you want your relationship to last then sometimes you have to pick your battles and realize that not everything calls for being catty because life is way too short for that.

1 Corinthians 13:4-5

"Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered."

One of my teachers once suggested to me that if I was interested in dating someone, it'd be helpful to put their name in place of the word "love" and if their name matched with the adjectives or actions that corresponded with love then my relationship is already a step in the right direction. At first, I thought it was kind of corny, but the attributes listed above in those verses are truly honorable.

Ephesians 5:25

"Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her."

There's no other explanation needed for this verse other than the fact that any woman who dates a man will greatly appreciate it if he's protective over her. I'm not saying that you have to be as intense as Penn Bagley's pretrial of Joe from "You" but there are ways to show a woman that her safety means everything to you whether you show it by purposely walking on the side sidewalk with the most traffic going by or putting your arm around her as a signal to all the thirsty dudes at the bar to stop staring at her.