Do Not Be Unequally Yoked – A Little About A Lot

In the book of Genesis God commands Abraham to leave his family, his father’s house and God is very clear with His instructions.

Now the Lord had said unto Abram, get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. So Abram departed, as the Lord had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran.

Genesis 12:1-4 KJV

God says leave all your relatives behind. However, Abraham chooses to go with his nephew lot and this was against God’s instructions. From my humanitarian perspective, this actually looks to be a noble thing. You know his brother has passed on and he’s probably taking the responsibility of caring for his nephew. However, God was very clear to Abraham to leave all his relatives behind. Many times, God’s instructions do not make sense. They appear sometimes to be very unemotional and hard. However, when you know God’s character and the heart of God, you actually realise that God will not tell you to do something that is not good for you. ⁠It’s ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠important to trust in God’s plan and understand that His commands are for our ultimate benefit, even if they may be difficult or uncomfortable in the moment. By having faith in His character, we can confidently follow His guidance and find peace in His will. God is all-seeing, all-knowing, and all-caring. As human beings, we cannot out-love God; we cannot care for other people more than God cares for them. We cannot be concerned about other people more than God, and so when God is very implicit in His instructions and He tells us to cut off a relationship or stop being friends with a person, then we need to take heed to this. It may be difficult to understand why God would ask us to end a relationship, but we must trust that He has our best interests at heart and that His plan for us and the other person in the relationship is always good. Obedience to God’s instructions, even when they are hard, ultimately leads to blessings and growth in our faith. One of the things we need to keep in mind is that God sees way beyond what we can see at the moment. God can see 10, 20, or 100 years to come up to eternity, and so when He gives us an instruction now, He has the future in mind. Therefore, it is important to trust in God’s plan and follow His instructions, even if we do not fully understand them at the moment. We can have faith that His plan will ultimately lead us to where we need to be. I believe when Abraham disobeyed God’s instruction, he was setting up his nephew for disaster. Lot was not equipped to go in this journey. Abraham was ready but Lot was not. He did not have the same heart as Abraham, therefore, this Journey was not for him. When we look at the story and see its end, we realise that it ends in tragedy – not only in Lots life but in his children and his children’s children’s lives. This shows how one decision affects many generations. The Bible in the New testament clearly shows us that we should not be un-equally yoked with unbelievers. The question is why? And the answer is that two cannot walk together unless they agree. So it means if you walk with people who do not have the same values as you, those who have a very different value system, then at one point or another it will lead to disagreement and strife. One will be pushing for one way. The other will be pushing for a different way and this is actually what we see in the story of Abraham and Lot.

Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you. And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

2 Corinthians 6:14-18 KJV

This Bible verse emphasises the importance of being in a relationship with God and not being unequally yoked with unbelievers. Living a life that is separate from the world is a Christian’s foundation for being a follower of Jesus. It also reminds us that, as believers, we are adopted into God’s family and have Him as our Father. We have the privilege of being called children of God and having a close, intimate relationship with Him. This relationship is not based on our own merit or actions but solely on God’s grace and love for us. It is a beautiful reminder of the depth of God’s love and the incredible privilege we have as His children. When Paul says, “Do not be unequally yoked,” he is saying two things:

We should not associate with those who do not actually live for Jesus
That any kind of intimate relationship or partnership with someone who does not let Jesus be the centre of their lives will ultimately result in our destruction.

Although this passage is frequently used in reference to marriage, it can also be applicable to friendships, business alliances, and any other close ties we may have throughout our life. It’s crucial to surround ourselves with people who support our spiritual growth and who hold similar values and views to our own. When you surround yourself with the right people who fuel your faith, they will keep you going when you feel like giving up. Having a supportive community can help you overcome obstacles and follow the instructions given by God. They become a positive influence to boost your confidence and help you stay motivated on your faith journey. The contrary is also true, in 1 Corinthians 15:33-34 we are warned,

Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good morals.”Be sober-minded [be sensible, wake up from your spiritual stupor] as you ought, and stop sinning; for some [of you] have no knowledge of God [you are disgracefully ignorant of Him, and ignore His truths]. I say this to your shame.

In the Gospels, Jesus also gives us a warning concerning the reality and the consequences of following His call. He says that He did not come to bring peace on earth, but He came to bring a sword and that as a result of Him, there will be separation from different associations even within the family. This sounds like a very counter-culture and a difficult Gospel, but it is ultimately true.

Do not think that I have come to bring peace on the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword [of division between belief and unbelief]. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and a man’s enemies will be the members of his [own] household [when one believes and another does not]. He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross [expressing a willingness to endure whatever may come] and follow Me [believing in Me, conforming to My example in living and, if need be, suffering or perhaps dying because of faith in Me] is not worthy of Me. Whoever finds his life [in this world] will [eventually] lose it [through death], and whoever loses his life [in this world] for My sake will find it [that is, life with Me for all eternity].

Matthew 10:34-39

This passage from the Bible teaches us that true life is found in surrendering ourselves to God and living for His sake, even if it means sacrificing our own desires and ambitions. By losing our lives in this world, we gain the promise of eternal life with God. Jesus is saying that His call or the burden of following Him will in certain instances cause division even in families. Are we ready to take up this call. Are we ready to put Jesus first in our lives? Are we ready to fully obey Him at such an expense? Are we willing to take up this cross and follow Him? Following Jesus requires sacrifice and obedience, which can be challenging at times. However, if we truly believe in Him and trust in His plan for our lives, we should be willing to take up our cross and follow Him, no matter the cost.