HAVE YOU EVER BEEN UNEQUALLY YOKED?

Before modern times, animals were used to pull wagons and plows. Oxen or horses were put two-by-two (side by side) and a yoke (long piece of wood with two harnesses), was attached to each animal.

It was important to use two of the same kind of animals, similar in speed, strength and stride together. If not, one would drag the other one down or pull the other one into more than it might have been capable of handling. Once one animal was yoked up with the other one, they had to work together, for better or worse.

In the second letter Paul wrote to the Corinthians, he used the analogy to make a point.

• 2 Corinthians 6:14-15 Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever?

Many consider this command to only be about marriage. But marriage is only part of it. As much as possible, we need to heed what the Lord spoke through Paul. In heeding it, there is harmony and strength. In disregarding it, there is stress and expense, not to mention the loss of the blessing that could have been had from being wisely yoked.

True Christians do not think like unbelievers. When we are lost, self is our lord. As Christians, Jesus becomes our Lord and our spirits become born-again. Our minds become reprogrammed according to God’s Word and we literally no longer think like we used to.

Here are examples, of being yoked with another or a group showing how it can be beneficial or negative. Friends, who are also Christians, help build one up and consider what the Lord and His Word think about where they go, how they handle themselves, etc. Hang around with lost friends, and it is easy to go back to the old worldly habits of sin. When it comes to jobs, try to work for and with other Christians for the same reasons. Real Christians have a conscience and they will not lie, cheat or back stab you. Sadly, in the absence of born-again consciences, people may, or may not, deal with circumstances, projects, sales, etc the same way Christians will. Sometimes in our naivety, Christians can expect unbelievers to think and act like Christians, but in reality, it is unrealistic.

To go into a business, or group investment, together with others, can be challenging even with like minds and consciences. To do so, with unbelievers can be expensive. There once was a man who got into a group investment. A series of events and mistakes made their project go in the negative. They all wanted to declare bankruptcy instead of make good on the situation. The Christian had an impeccable record in finance and they out-voted him and filed for bankruptcy anyway. So, being an honest guy of true integrity, he worked for years and paid all the people affected what he felt like it was that they had coming, despite the group.

Dating and marriage are of the utmost importance in the matter. The Lord wants His children to marry other believers, so their children will be raised in Him. If one will refuse to date unbelievers, it will make marrying one a lot harder to happen. One should not only consider dating Christians but should only date strong Christians. They should be sincere in their faith, with a good spiritual track record! If they are Christians in lip service only, but in reality, tell white lies, are not sincere in their worship and prayer, don’t tithe and give extra, don’t take care of their possessions as in good stewardship, etc... how would one ever have a strong relationship in the Lord with them and live a blessed life? A dreamer who thinks they can “save” the other one, usually experiences much pain and hardship. Often times, the unbeliever winds up dragging the Christian down.

With any union that we ever make, we need to be careful. When a good Christian teams up with an unbeliever, or even a weak Christian with bad judgment, they can easily suffer when the other one builds up credit card debt, makes foolish choices, fails to have full integrity, possibly cheats on them and so much more.

What Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians about not being unequally yoked, was not a suggestion. Can we always do it? After all, we go to school with unbelievers, we vote with them, drive on the roads with them, etc... The answer is: not always... but as much as we can, we certainly need to make our unions with Christians who have good consciences and godly wisdom.


Eli Cockrell

If you would like to read more about being unequally yoked, please see the article, Being Unequally Yoked.