Tag: Unequally Yoked

‘I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.’ Romans 15:13(NLT)

‘How wonderful and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony! For harmony is as precious as the anointing oil that was poured over Aaron’s head, that ran down his beard and onto the border of his robe. Harmony is as refreshing as the dew from Mount Hermon that falls on the mountains of Zion. And there the Lord has pronounced his blessing, even life everlasting.’ Psalms 133:1-3(NLT)

‘Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. ‘ Galatians 6:2(NLT)

‘But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation. ‘ Romans 5:8-9(NLT)

‘Give thanks to the God of gods. His faithful love endures forever. Give thanks to the Lord of lords. His faithful love endures forever.’ Psalms 136:2-3(NLT)

Devotional Content:

What would Jesus do? If Jesus sat with you on your couch and you told Him about your unbelieving spouse, what advice do you think He would give? What would Jesus ask you to do?

First, I think Jesus would tell you that He loves your spouse more than you do and that His deepest desire is for your spouse to come to Him. Take confidence in that. You are not alone in this fight. Be patient. You have the Creator of the universe leading your team!

Second, I think Jesus would move close to you and hold you in His arms. He would tell you that He knows your road is not easy. Living with an unbelieving spouse is demanding and difficult every day. He gets it!

Third, I think Jesus would encourage you to find one or two friends to walk this road with you. You need people to pray for and with you. You need someone to call when the day is rough. You need the perspective of someone you trust when your perspective is clouded. You need someone who loves you deeply with the love of Jesus.

Fourth, I think Jesus would say that when you get discouraged and wonder if you can do this another day, He is there. Lean into Him, and let Him strengthen and refresh you. He understands the battle because He has been in it too. Let Him remind you who wins the war! Then with the strength only He can give you, follow His lead day after day after day.

We serve an amazing God. He is the Miracle Worker. Never give up. Because of Him, there will always be hope!

Today’s Challenge:

Start the habit of beginning your day with prayer for God to give you His wisdom and His strength.

Going Deeper:

Pray for God to bring someone in your life to walk this road with you—someone with a strong faith who you can trust completely; someone to pray for you and with you; someone who will consider it an honor to come alongside you in this journey.

from Unequally Yoked by Dr. Kim Kimberling

‘Wait patiently for the Lord . Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord .’ Psalms 27:14(NLT)

‘The Lord himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.”’ Exodus 14:14(NLT)

‘And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him. ‘ 1 John 5:14(NLT)

‘The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right; his ears are open to their cries for help.’ Psalms 34:15(NLT)

Devotional Content:

Know without a doubt that God is daily seeking your spouse. He has a plan. Most likely you are a part of that plan, but don’t get in His way.

Neither Kristi nor Matt were Christians when they married at twenty-five. It wasn’t like they were against church. They just never saw a need for it. Their life was pretty carefree. They both had good jobs and agreed to wait a few years before having kids.

Matt was out of town when Kristi’s college roommate came to visit for a weekend. Allison and Kristi kept in touch, but their friendship had grown more distant over the past couple of years. Kristi was looking forward to catching up. From the first evening Allison arrived, Kristi noticed something different. Allison had changed. She even brought a Bible with her! Kristi was curious, and Allison was willing to share. By Sunday morning they were looking for a church to attend, and by Sunday afternoon Kristi’s life was changed forever.

Kristi excitedly shared her experience with Matt, but he was pretty cold toward all of it. She so badly wanted him to know Jesus. She talked about Jesus all the time. She dragged Matt to church. One weekend she literally “preached” to him around the clock. She couldn’t figure out what was wrong with Matt. He was moving farther and farther away from God.

Kristi talked with Allison and learned that she was getting in God’s way. God had a plan for Matt and was drawing Matt to Himself. Certainly her conversion would be a plus in their marriage, but Matt was not coming to Jesus the same way she did. Finally following Allison’s advice, Kristi backed off. It was clear that her role was to pray and get out of God’s way.

Today’s Challenge:

Are you getting in God’s way? If so, where do you need to back off and trust Him?

Going Deeper:

When someone accepts Jesus as their Savior, there is rejoicing in heaven. In our church, we clap loudly. The excitement is contagious, and we want everyone we love to have that experience. Think about what worked when you came to Jesus. What would have put you off? As you seek to share your faith, prayerfully seek God’s wisdom. Stay a step behind God when your tendency will be to take a step ahead. Trust Him in the process.

from Unequally Yoked by Dr. Kim Kimberling

‘Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. ‘ Romans 12:12(NLT)

‘May God, who gives this patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other, as is fitting for followers of Christ Jesus. ‘ Romans 15:5(NLT)

‘Be still in the presence of the Lord , and wait patiently for him to act. Don’t worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes.’ Psalms 37:7(NLT)

Devotional Content:

If your spouse is resisting the Lord, take time to look past their resistance. Is there something from their past that affects the way they look at God? Was there trauma or life experiences that they blame God for? What you see on the outside may be the shell that is protecting deep hurts on the inside.

Tom was six when his mother died. She suffered a long illness, and Tom prayed every night for her to get well. The night before his mom died, Tom was busy playing and fell asleep on the floor without praying. The next morning, he was told by his dad that his mom was gone. Tom never said a word, but inside he blamed her death on himself for not praying that night and on God for being so mean. Tom vowed to never give God another chance.

I met Tom twenty-eight years later as he reluctantly came to counseling. His marriage was falling apart, and his wife asked him to talk with me at least one time. She was a Christian. He never purported to be one, but she married him anyway. She loved him deeply. His hatred for God had become a huge issue in their marriage. Tom repeatedly and adamantly told her that he wanted nothing to do with God. As Tom and I met alone, I asked him why he hated God so much. His eyes filled with tears and he said no one had ever asked him that question before. That really shocked me. For the first time ever, Tom told the story of his mom’s death. The shell began to crack, and over the next few months Tom slowly opened up his life to God.

With Tom, I saw three things in his marriage: First, his wife fervently prayed for him for two years. Second, she was obedient to what the Lord called her to do. Third, the timing was right and a patient God was there as Tom opened his heart. God used this woman who was able to “look past the resistance” to bring this man to Jesus.

Today’s Challenge:

Ask God to help you look past the resistance to the heart of your spouse and to help you see your spouse through His eyes.

Going Deeper:

It is so normal for us to react to the outside and never look at the inside. As you pray, see your spouse as a lost child of God. Know without a doubt that God wants your spouse in His kingdom. Pray for patience and wisdom as you look past the resistance.

from Unequally Yoked by Dr. Kim Kimberling

‘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