Equally Yoked - a personal testimony

Every now and then we are all called to give our testimony of how Christ has worked in our lives whether in salvation or sanctification. Recently, my pastor asked if I would be willing to give a testomonial at church. I thought to myself the majority of personal testimonies that I have shared throughout my years has been: I was walking in disobedience, then Christ showed me the way; now I have grown in this way or that. Why do we always have to learn these lessons the hard way? I don't want you to make the same mistakes I have in my life so that is why I want to talk about being "equally yoked."



2nd Corinthians 6:14-16 says "Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial (satan)? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God."



With my first marriage, I was in disobedience to my mother's request and God's command (even though I was not yet a Christian). Ironically, we both would have said we were Christians. I attended church regularly and he would come with me sometimes. At the time, I don't even think I fully understood what being equally yoked meant!



When I was saved by the grace of God a few years into my marriage and my husband was not; there was disharmony between us. See I had a new nature! My heart's desire was to do God's will and to learn more about Him. I hungered and thirst for the knowledge of my Savior! Contrary, my husband was of and in this world. He followed the world's standards and motivations. We grew apart. My growth in Christ was stagnated because I was afraid of growing too far apart from my husband whom I still tried to please. This is why God is so adamant about being equally yoked - it doesn't work this way. It is not God's will for the wife to be the spiritual leader in the home.



Recently, a friend of mine said being equally yoked is like a triangle and I like this analogy. As we work on our relationship with our Heavenly Father, our relationship with each other gets closer. When I realized the truth of this, I saw the same is true when you flip the triangle over. As one member grows closer to God the other member grows more wordly and thus the relationship with each other grows apart.

This concept became so very clear after this marriage dissolved and he left me. I later married again to a believer. What a stark differnce light is to darkness! What pure joy when both husband and wife journey together in their walk with Christ! How awesome it is to have a husband who is concerned about my physical, mental and spiritual well-being! What an encouragement to know that my husband is praying for me on a daily basis!!!

My heart's desire is to help young women learn from my little life lessons. I have known the heartache of being unequally yoked and the blessing that comes from marrying a fellow believer. I have learned that an outward show of religion is a far cry from an inward heart conversion to Jesus!

Soli Deo Gloria!

~patti kerr