Protect Your Yoke
- Cathrine Schmelzer
- Jul 11, 2024
- 3 min read
“God uses these relationships to grow us, to speak to us, and to keep us on the path toward heaven.”
“Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?” 2 Corinthians 6:14 ESV
The relationships we fill our lives with are some of our biggest influences. I’ve said this before, but I’m going to say it again. In my opinion, our community is one of our most valuable resources for our faith outside the Bible and God Himself. The people we are closest to, in marriage, dating, work and friendships, have a huge influence on our lives.
God uses these relationships to grow us, to speak to us, and to keep us on the path toward heaven.
But relationships can also lead us on a path away from heaven.
In our verse today, Paul warns us to not yoke ourselves to unbelievers. It would be like putting an ox and a donkey together and setting them on a path. The two different animals will pull with different strengths, leading to frustration, being off-course, and potentially, the death of one of the animals. (Paraphrased from Kris Langham, Through The Word App)
Relationships can do the same to us. If we “yoke” ourselves to someone who has unequal strengths, morals, values and beliefs, we can be driven off-course and our faith can be led to death.
Godly relationships will do the exact opposite. God-centered marriages draw each person closer to Him. Friendships, rooted in Jesus, will encourage you to grow and grow in your faith. These people will have wisdom from God to share with you, rather than earthly thoughts. These Spirit-filled relationships will be full of love and joy.
I’m not saying that we should never interact with unbelievers or that we should cut people out of our lives if they don’t have the same values as us. God may be calling you to be in those relationships to lead those people to Him. What I’m saying is that we must be sure that the relationships we allow to influence us aren’t unequally yoked with us.
Mom friend, I encourage you to be protective of your relationships and your walk with Jesus. It might mean turning down an invitation to a party with co-workers, making the choice to not partake in office gossip. It might mean pulling away from a friend who isn’t speaking life into you. You might have to make the choice to end a relationship that’s leading you away from God.
It means being protective of your children’s relationships, too. This will look different for every family and every season, but you might be labeled as “the weird family”, or “overprotective mom”. That’s ok. We’re all weird moms.
Action Steps:
How do you know if you’re unequally yoked with an unbeliever? Reflect on how they affect your pathway to God. If that relationship pulls you away, it’s time to take a step back. Un-yoke yourself. Turn your focus back to God.
Allow your godly relationships to speak to you. Allow God to work through them to lead you to Him.
Prayer: God, show me what relationships in my life are leading me away from You. Give me wisdom and courage to unyoke myself from them. Use me to further Your kingdom and bless my life with relationships that lead me back to You. I ask all this for Your glory, amen.
Written by Cathrine, mom of 4