BE YE NOT UNEQUALLY YOKED:

BE YE NOT UNEQUALLY YOKED: I was talking with a buddy today about his relationship. He was explaining the situation, and I could tell he felt stuck. So I asked him, “Do you know what a yoke is?” He said no. A yoke was a wooden beam that tied two animals together so they could pull a plow through a field. The goal was simple..pull straight, cut the field, move forward. If the animals were matched right, the plow stayed straight. If they weren’t matched right, one would pull harder, faster, or in a different direction. The other would fight against it. The plow wouldn’t cut a straight line anymore. It would start turning. Before long, they’re not plowing the field. They’re walking in circles. He said, “That’s exactly it. We’re just going in circles.” That’s 2 Corinthians 6:14 in real life. “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?” 2 Corinthians 6:14 KJV Don’t read that shallow. Yes, the Bible draws a line between believer and unbeliever. The principle also shows up anywhere two people are tied together but led by different things. Different values. Different convictions. Different authority. Different direction. One wants Christ. One wants the world. One wants obedience. One wants comfort. One wants truth. One wants whatever feels good right now. That’s the yoke. “Can two walk together, except they be agreed?” Amos 3:3 KJV Two people can like each other and still be pulling against each other. They can have chemistry and still have no agreement. They can want it to work and still be headed in different directions. You can talk more. Try harder. Explain it better. Pray about it. Cry about it. Still, if the yoke is wrong, the circle keeps repeating. That’s a big reason I’m single. I’m not trying to chase the world and drag Jesus behind me. In today’s world, if you’re actually trying to follow Christ, the options get thin fast. There are a lot of girls chasing attention, comfort, drama, and validation. There aren’t many women who want Scripture, conviction, obedience, and a home under the authority of Jesus Christ. My pastor gave me the best dating advice I’ve ever heard: Chase God as fast as you can. If you look over and see a woman keeping up, ask her out. That’s the standard. Don’t slow down for somebody who doesn’t want Jesus. Don’t stay tied to confusion because you’re scared to be single. Paul said: “For I would that all men were even as I myself. But every man hath his proper gift of God…” 1 Corinthians 7:7 KJV Singleness isn’t always punishment. Sometimes it’s protection. Sometimes it’s a gift. Sometimes God is keeping your hands free because He has work for you to do. Paul also said: “He that is unmarried careth for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please the Lord:” 1 Corinthians 7:32 KJV So what do you do if you’re dating someone and you already know the yoke is wrong? Quit pretending. Pray. Get counsel. Tell the truth. Watch fruit, not promises. Then obey God. “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” Proverbs 4:23 KJV If you’re already married, that’s a different conversation. Paul deals with that in 1 Corinthians 7. If you’re dating, you’re still choosing the yoke. Choose carefully. Because if the yoke is wrong, love won’t make the plow go straight. You’ll just keep going in circles. #MoreJoyMinistries