God knows what He is doing!
“Be not unevenly yoked with unbelievers: for what fellowship have righteous with unrighteous? and what communion hath light with darkness?” II Corinthians 6:14 KJV
Boy does our God know what He is talking about or what? His word applies to every part of our lives. If we would just grasp that and hold onto it, our lives would be so more blessed, happy, victorious and focused! Most of us look at that verse as speaking of marriage and the saved person not marrying the unsaved! It does of course apply to that, but so much more. But why would a saved person even consider dating an unsaved – why entertain that thought at all? Why put yourself at risk of that kind of pain to your heart. If you are disobedient to God – He will hold you accountable. People say, “Oh what better way to lead the other person to the Lord?” It happens but probably no where near as much as it does not happen. One of you will sway the other one, and my guess is that most of the time it is the unsaved one that sways the saved. Think about it – if it didn’t turn out that way most of the time, why would God warn us against being unevenly yoked. So you will still be saved, but disobedient to God (and there will be consequences) and you will be tied into a marriage to someone who may never be saved and raise your children with someone who may never be concerned for their salvation.
But this scripture also applies to our friends and people we are going to be spending our time with. One will influence the other and once again since God instructed us not to put ourselves in this situation my guess is that even though greater is He that is in us, than he that is in the world, – the unsaved will more often influence the saved. It recently came to my attention that even something as simple as your traveling companions should be evenly yoked. A recent trip to Europe with my granddaughter and students, teachers and parents from her previous high school opened my eyes. The city the school group came from was well known for their extreme liberal views, which is one reason my granddaughter had left the area and moved in with her dad last year. She got saved May of 2018 and moved to her dad’s by the end of that summer. As an active member of our ladies’ bible study she had been asking for prayer for this community ever since she moved here. But we thought nothing of traveling with people from the community, we did not either one know any of them. They were mostly all very nice people. But guess what? There is no such thing as “Oh we will be fine hanging out with these nice people night and day for 12 days who have completely different beliefs and values and someone not be affected.” Especially when they are nice people who are fun to be around. These are the very type people the enemy uses to snare you. He does not put an ugly monster in front of you – you would run from a monster – instead he puts a pretty picture in front of you. Cool people who seem to have so much fun, people who make you feel like you belong. So often instead of letting He who is in us, be in charge and be a light to anyone who needs to see Jesus in us, we start down the slippery trail and begin to look more like them and no different than the enemy’s army. If we don’t show the world we are different, we are not doing what we have been commissioned to do. It saddens me to think we so often think we can handle being unevenly yoked (no matter what the circumstances) and not be affected. We will sway them or they will sway us, but things will not stay the same. God’s word is perfect. He does not just state things to be talking, His words are truth and His instructions are because He knows what is best for us and knows us better than we know ourselves. He speaks truth and in His Word is power.
We either lead people one way or the other. You don’t want to have to face the Lord, and have to give an account for all those you were supposed to point towards Him and you did not – even though you are His child. Being young or being old is no excuse to not carry out the great commission. We are not perfect and when we fall we need to fall down before our Lord and repent and get right back up and keep going. Do not let sin have time to settle in before you take it to Him to make it right. But if we fall EVERY time we are temped we need to seek God’s face and find out what is really going on. Make your relationship with Him your number one priority. Chose your friends, roommates, who you spend time with, who you date and marry based on His instructions and not what “feels” good in the moment. Remember the moment shall pass but eternity is forever!
Sheri