How can you tell if your relationship is on a healthy path—the kind God desires for you?
Father Ignacio Amorós offers five clear signs to help discern whether a courtship is being built on mature love, a love that leads both people closer to Christ.
In a new video on his channel, Rebels Wanted, the priest addresses questions many young people ask when they’re getting to know someone:
“Is this person for me?”
“Is this person good for me?”
“Does this relationship help me grow?”
Responding to these concerns, he provides a practical guide to distinguish genuine love from passing emotions or relationships marked by unhealthy dependence.
In the video, Father Amorós outlines five signs that reveal whether a relationship is oriented toward God:
1) The relationship makes you a better person.
Authentic love inspires virtue, interior peace, healthier habits, and both moral and spiritual growth.
“A good love lifts you up,” Fr. Amorós says, recalling a young woman who told him, “My boyfriend makes me a better person.”
2) It helps you better love others—especially your family.
A healthy relationship doesn’t isolate you, cut you off from loved ones, or make your world smaller. Instead, it helps you become a better son, daughter, sibling, or friend.
“A good love leads you to love your loved ones better,” the priest says, contrasting this with possessive or closed-off relationships.
3) It brings you inner peace.
Not a superficial peace that ignores problems, but a deep peace that comes from the Holy Spirit when one lives in truth and goodness.
“It is the serenity of a loving heart that does good,” Father Amorós explains.
4) It allows you to live authentically—without hiding.
A healthy Christian relationship doesn’t require secrecy or a double life.
Inspired by Saint Ignatius, the priest poses a simple yet telling question:
“If your mother knew about this relationship, what would she say?”
Transparency is a sign of authenticity.
5) It expands your horizons and inspires you to dream big.
True love broadens the heart. It sparks new dreams, encourages growth, and fuels a desire for holiness. It does not suffocate or diminish.
“When love enters a relationship, it makes you magnanimous,” Father Amorós says.
The ultimate sign of a holy relationship: It brings you closer to God.
Beyond the five indicators, Father Amorós highlights the most important criterion: an authentic Christian courtship should always lead both people closer to God.
A relationship grounded in Christ should help you deepen your prayer life, live in truth, participate in the life of the Church, and grow in humility, charity, and purity.
“A good Christian courtship must lead you closer to God,” he emphasizes.