‘Anyone who wants to serve me must follow me, because my servants must be where I am. And the Father will honor anyone who serves me.’ John 12:26(NLT)
‘I have done the Lord’s work humbly and with many tears. I have endured the trials that came to me from the plots of the Jews. ‘ Acts of the Apostles 20:19(NLT)
‘This is what I told them: ‘Obey me, and I will be your God, and you will be my people. Do everything as I say, and all will be well!’’ Jeremiah 7:23(NLT)
‘Now if you will obey me and keep my covenant, you will be my own special treasure from among all the peoples on earth; for all the earth belongs to me. ‘ Exodus 19:5(NLT)
‘Now, I will speak to the rest of you, though I do not have a direct command from the Lord. If a fellow believer has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to continue living with him, he must not leave her. And if a believing woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to continue living with her, she must not leave him. ‘ 1 Corinthians 7:12-13(NLT)
‘Each of you should continue to live in whatever situation the Lord has placed you, and remain as you were when God first called you. This is my rule for all the churches. ‘ 1 Corinthians 7:17(NLT)
Devotional Content:
Being married to someone who is not a Christian is not easy, but … Being married to someone who is hostile to Christianity is really difficult, but … The but is simply this: At some point in your life you stood with your spouse before God and committed to a lifetime of marriage together. The escape clauses for your marriage are few and narrow. So are you doomed to a lifetime where the two of you are out of balance spiritually? Let’s back up before we answer that question.
Most couples who are unequally yoked fall into one of these categories:
1. Neither were believers before they married, but now one is and one is not.
2. One married an unbeliever hoping they would change.
3. One married the other thinking that person was a believer but discovered sometime into the marriage that their spouse was not a Christian and not open to Christianity.
Let’s look at your role as a Christian in each of these categories:
1. It is not unusual that God would bring one of you to belief before the other. You may be the reason your spouse is open to a relationship with Jesus. Your role is to wait on God and pray for your spouse.
2. This is a difficult situation but one you were aware of as you entered into marriage. It is easy to impatiently pressure your spouse, but based on my experience, pressure does not work. Instead, be a living example of Jesus. I know you are not perfect, but live daily following Him. Give God time to work on your spouse. It may take years, but your role is to be a living witness and to fervently pray.
3. This can be complicated, especially if you feel you were deceived. On top of being unequally yoked, you now have a trust issue. Your role first is to forgive even if your spouse is not changing. Forgiveness opens your heart to the Lord’s leading. Then be an example as you live out each day, and fervently pray for your spouse.
Now back to our question: Are you doomed to a lifetime where the two of you are out of balance spiritually? The answer might be yes, but how you allow God to work in you and your response to God will change a life of doom into one of service to the Lord. It is God’s job to change the heart of your spouse. It’s your job to love them, to be the spouse God created you to be, and to live in obedience to Him and to His Word.
Today’s Challenge:
Begin to pray every day for the heart of your spouse to soften to the message of Christ.
Going Deeper:
What would living a life of obedience to the Lord look like for you? This means that each day you do what He wants you to do no matter what your spouse does. Spend time in prayer as you consider this step.
Resource:
Use mundane moments for Godly purpose in your marriage with our House Prayer Cards.
Prayer is the single BEST thing you can for your marriage. God is the one who can ultimately change your hearts and your marriage for the better, so inviting him in to do those things is the single best thing you can do for your marriage.
from Unequally Yoked by Dr. Kim Kimberling