Yoked Together

2 Cor.6:14 "Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?"

As teenagers we used to hear this verse preached to us all the time in the church. You know, youth leaders and pastors would talk about sex, dating and marriage and this verse would inevitably surface. The main point: "Don't marry someone who is not a Christian." It was even taken one step further: "Don't date someone who is not a Christian." Why? Because "every date is a potential mate".

Frankly, all of this is solid advise. I have seen nothing but trouble when it comes to dating or marrying someone who does not share your faith. The priorities are different, the pressure to temptation can be different, the whole decision making process is different. How you raise your kids can cause problems. It is a huge mess. This verse is there not to take away our fun or freedom, it is there to protect us.

The idea of an unequal yoke is interesting. Take two cows with a yoke (harness) between them. That yoke better be even - equal. If it is not, you can be sure that those cows are not going to be comfortable. One cow will go one way and other will try to go another. They do not work together to accomplish a common task, instead they create opposing forces and nothing gets done effectively. The end result is discomfort, hurt and pain.

The picture in a marriage is clear. There is no fellowship, no sharing, no real communion, no true intimacy, no joint participation. Everything gets screwed up when a believer wants to live a consistent Christian life and the unbeliever could not give a rip. The only way it may work is when: 1. The Christian comes down to the level of not giving a rip; 2. The non-believer gets saved. The later is great and it happens many times. Unfortunately, there are still consequences that can hit later in our lives or even in our kid's lives.

The aspect that we don't commonly hear about is in business. Can I partner with an unbeliever? Can I work together as equals...being yoked together in my professional life? Scripture would guard against this. Business partnerships are a lot like marriage. Priorities and decision making all play a role. When you have two people who come from entirely different perspectives something has to give. Unfortunately, it can be the believer's integrity that takes the hit.

God wants to protect us so He says: "Don't be unequally yoked." It is our choice. We can either do what He says, or endure the pain when we don't.