Recently I read an article on the Odyssey called "Why You Should Date The Boy Who Treats You Like Crap".

There was a lot of positive feedback on this article. And I can understand where the author was coming from, but that doesn't mean I agree with it. And the reason I don't agree with it is because I was raised to never let anyone treat me like crap. I was raised to know my worth.

Part of the article said this: "Date the guy who is going to belittle you. The one who will make you feel disposable. Assure your friends and family he isn’t as bad as he seems, that he’s just busy and you totally understand why he can never make plans with you. Date the guy who doesn’t ask about your day, your family, how you’re feeling, or anything else that matters to you that you so desperately want to know about him. Date the guy who is going to treat you like a chapter out of a book while you want the whole novel from him."

The article went on to explain why you should allow a guy to treat you this way. The author wanted to emphasize that you will grow and be stronger after you've been treated "like crap". She wanted girls to know that one day they'll find a guy that treats them better than any guy ever did before, but that before you could have that you needed to know experience the bad guy first.

But that's exactly the problem. Our culture conditions girls to think that they have to tolerate being treated like crap because "it's bound to happen". Our culture isn't conditioning girls to know their worth. Our culture isn't conditioning girls to not settle.

By allowing yourself to be treated like crap in a relationship, and not taking a stand you aren't doing anything good for yourself. Because here's the truth that the other article didn't tell you: You do not have to be treated like crap.

If you believe in God as much as I do then you know that dating a guy who treats you bad could not possibly be part of His plans for you. God has a plan for every single one of us women and a guy who treats us like anything less than that is not worth it.

Don't care how attractive he is. Don't care how athletic he is. Don't care how much money he makes. If he doesn't recognize your worth then he is not worth it. Don't lower your standards and think you have to date a guy who treats you poorly before you will meet the guy who treat you right. Wait. Be patient. Know that God has a plan for you.

Don't settle. While everyone else is dating that guy that treats them like crap you'll be the girl who has the confidence to know she doesn't deserve that. You'll be the girl who is stronger because you didn't settle for a guy who was less than what you deserved. And when you meet the guy, the one that treats you right and uplifts you rather than tearing you down, you'll have so much less baggage than the girls that settled.

So don't let anyone dictate you into thinking you can be treated poorly by anyone. Because I promise you are worth so much more than you think.