Reprint Compliments of Men At The Cross By Joe White

VIDEO OF THE DAY

2 Corinthians 6:14-16

14Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? 15What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? 16What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: "I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people."

Imagine, as crazy as it sounds, that you are an ox named Bill. You live in ancient Istanbul and your job is to pull a cart with the beloved king of Turkey riding in it. You are sound, wise, and dedicated. You love the king you are assigned for life to serve. Unfortunately, somebody puts Sam on the other side of the yoke of this two-oxen cart and although Sam is big, strong, and handsome and seemed great the first time you met him, he is lazy, rebellious, and stubborn when the work begins. The king becomes frustrated with both oxen because you cannot work together and puts you out to pasture. Because of your sincerity, your heart is broken.

Oh, I know oxen don't have names or "people hearts" that can be broken! But that's the context of this terrific metaphor.

The teen letters I've received are many that tell the same story.

"Joe, my friends told me that getting high would make my problems go away. That wasn't true at all. First we tried speed, then pot, angel dust, and LSD. Although I only tried LSD once, it was an experience I'll never forget." -- 15-year-old.

"Joe, he told me he loved me and like all the rest we'd get married some day. He talked me into sex and then we broke up. I was crushed. I felt like I had two hundred knives go through me." -- 16-year-old

"I began to hang out with the wrong friends. They were always partying and drinking. Before long, they took me down with them." -- 17-year-old

"The worst mistake I ever made was building a business partnership with __________ ___________ (an unbeliever). I'll be paying for it (literally) for years to come." - A Christian businessman

A Christian must be a witness to the lost, no doubt. But a true, sincere Christian is solemnly warned not to be friends, partners with, or to date or fall in love with someone who is not a truly sincere Christian. This passage is a clear warning from God that if you don't listen, like Bill the ox, your heart will be broken.

QUESTIONS:
1. What do you think God is saying to you personally about not being unequally yoked?
2. How can the desire for love or friendship or the desire for money blind you?
3. If you find yourself unequally yoked today, what do you need to do?

LIFELINE:
Keep the yoke of family equally growing and growing strong.