For follow-up discussion and general commentary on the topic. Comments are sorted chronologically.
Brian Ansell
When looking for a husband or a wife we should be looking to love the person for who they are and they should be loving you for who you are. Take a look at any long marriage and that us what you will find. Short marriages appear to be based on what each thinks the other might be once married. Such as provide children, earn lots of money, have a large house etc. A Christian is not Likley to find a good spouse in someone who is against christianity.
Jennifer Henkel
Absolute essentials:
Number one - he loves Jesus, and continues to passionately pursue a relationship with Him. He reads scripture daily and prays about decisions, caring more about what Jesus thinks than what the world or even you, his girlfriend, thinks.
Sober! No substance abuse, no porn, no gambling. These are marriage wreckers. (If No 1 is in place, these should be non-issues).
Hard worker! You want a man who believes it is his duty to provide for his family.
Be sure he's on the same page about having children, how many, where to live, whether you will stay home with children, etc. Talk about everything!
Danny Hickman
Wow! I see why marriage is becoming extinct. That's quite a list of requirements. The one that's missing in this list is that the man loves HER!! And tell me this: how can a woman tell if a man loves Jesus? Most have trouble determining whether the man loves THEM or not. I bet the wife of that pastor in Arizona thought her husband "loved Jesus." She just didn't know he was a homosexual...
A young woman can try to build a life with someone she falls in love with, or she can try to find love using a checklist like this.
There are no guarantees in this world whether you're a christian or otherwise. "Substance abuse, porn and gambling" should be a deal breaker for friendships; of course no clear thinking person wants to marry into those vices!!
The bible is the place to look to get pointers on relationships. It only tells of men looking for a wife, never anything about a woman looking for a husband. But the dynamics are the same. The culture has matured, but good and evil don't change. The good way for a man to find a wife is the good way for a woman to find a husband.
I don't see a man/wife relationship in the bible that didn't show at least one problem. (Check it out)
What's the most important character trait to look for in a person? It's not how he / she looks, it how he / she thinks.
Godly wisdom is better than rubies and pearls, and all that can be desired can't compare to it (Prov 8:11).
That's what you look for in a person you meet; search for it.!! (Prov 2:4)