Devotional on 2 Corinthians 6:14 Part 2

Hello everyone! I hope all of you enjoyed a peaceful weekend and a blessed Lord's Day! Today, we'll be continuing on with our 2-part devotional series on 2 Corinthians 6:14; I hope this series will be a blessing to you.

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Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?

~2 Corinthians 6:14 (NKJV)

In part 1 of our devotional, we covered the subject of not being unequally yoked together with unbelieving friends. Today, the devotional will cover the very very important topic of not being unequally yoked together with an unbelieving spouse.

Some of you ladies who read this blog are already married; others of you are in your teens, and are happily preparing for life with that special someone. Thus, this devotional is geared towards those girls and young women who are yet unmarried. However, to all you married ladies who access this blog, we would love to hear your wisdom on this topic! :)

I cannot even begin to express to you the huge importance that you do not marry someone who isn't a Christian. As one can see in this verse, this is a very important thing to God, and it should be to us as well. All too often today women marry unbelieving men, thinking "Oh, I'll be able to change him; I'll be able to bring him to Christ after a few years of marriage." This is a very dangerous way of thinking, ladies! 1 Corinthians 15:33 warns us that bad company corrupts good morals, and that unbelieving man could have a horrible influence on you and your future children. It is so important that we obey God's wise and loving command found here in 2 Corinthians. Now, for you ladies who may have already married an unbelieving man, there is hope for you! 1 Peter 3:1-2 says "Wives, likewise, be submissive to your own husbands, that even if some do not obey the word, they, without a word, may be won by the conduct of their wives, when they observe your chaste conduct accompanied by fear." This beautiful passage goes on to show us the huge importance of acquiring a meek and quiet spirit. If you desire to bring your unbelieving husband to Christ, then you can't go around hitting him over the head with the truth! This will do absolutely nothing but ruin your witness for Christ-because by doing this, your husband will see not one bit of Christ's love in you. Rather, you must be meek, quiet, reverent, and submissive to your unbelieving husband. That is where the true power of conversion is found.

Many people read 2 Corinthians 6:14, and just speak on the fact that we're not to marry someone who isn't a Christian. After they cover that, they just leave the verse and go onto something else, somehow thinking that they've covered all the speceifics and important teachings of the verse. What a tragedy that is, because not being unequally yoked together with a spouse means much much more than just not marrying a non-Christian. You can be married to a Christian and still be unequally yoked together. Yes, it's of paramount importance that you marry a Christian; but there are so many other convictions which must match, in order for you to be truly yoked together equally, as God desires for you to be.

For instance: is the young man you're interested in commited to courtship? If you are, and he isn't, then you're not going to be equally yoked whatsoever. Not only could this difference in convictions cause problems when you attempt to get to know one another, but it will also pose many problems when your future children are nearing marriagable age. Also, are you committed wholeheartedly to homeschooling, believing that it's the Biblical way of receiving an education? Then you better make sure that any guy you're seriously interested in feels the same way! Here are some other areas that need to match in order for you and your future spouse to be equally yoked together:

• Do you believe that your husband is to be the loving head of the home and that it's your Biblical responsibility to joyfully submit to him? Then the man you marry should feel the same way!

• Do you want many children and do you view them as rich blessings from the Lord? Then pray for the Lord to send you someone who feels the same way.

• If you're very unfeministic, and deeply love the difference of roles that God has set aside for women and those He set aside for men, then be sure to marry a man who feels the same way!

• If you believe in the Docrines of Grace, then you need to be sure to marry someone who believes in and loves those as well!

• It's important that your views on doctrinal issues(i.e. baptism, the Trinity, etc.) are the same.

This list could go on further, but you get the idea. The really important issues and convictions need to match, or else you'll end up in a marriage that is less than pleasant! If your doctrinal beliefs and convictions don't match, then you will be living in sheer torture when you have children and you and your husband are arguing over how you're going to raise them. Little things such as likes and dislikes, hobbies, favorite foods, etc. are unimportant-those can be as different as you please and not cause a problem. But the really important issues have to match if you're truly going to be equally yoked together with your future spouse.

I know exactly what some of you young ladies are thinking right now. :) You're thinking: "I feel that I'm an oddball in society already due to my counter-cultural convictions and way of life. How could I ever hope to marry such a wonderful guy who would believe as I do in all these areas?" Dear sisters, take heart! With God, all things are indeed possible!! Don't ever forget that! The Lord knows that your heart aches for a future husband that will share your beliefs and convictions. He knows you desire wholeheartedly to be truly yoked together equally with your future spouse-He desires the exact same thing for you! Therefore, pray daily for that future husband. Pray that the Lord will send you (at the right time!) a young man who has a heart for Him, who shares your same convictions, beliefs, and way of life. There are young men like that out there! I've met some of them myself. They sadly aren't the norm these days, but they do exist! Pray that the Lord will work in the heart of your future spouse, to refine him and make him into a true man after God's own heart. Psalm 34:4-5 says "Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass." Take heart, ladies! The Lord chose before the foundation of the earth who it was that you would marry! He has it all planned out. Rest in that comforting knowledge and trust only in Him. Never ever lower your high standards, but always wait for that special young man that the Lord already chose for you-that young man that you will be helpmeet to, who will lead you, protect you, provide for you, guide you, and cherish you. He really does exist, and he really is out there. So, wait for him!