Be Equally Yoked!

Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial (the devil)? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? 2 Corinthians 6:14-15 NIV

What does it mean to be equally or unequally yoked?

In the olden days before tractors and other motorized vehicles, strong animals were used to pull carts and farming equipment. Often two (or more) would be yoked together, their combined strength affording more power to the task they were given. Two oxen would be paired. Or two horses. Or two mules. But never a horse and an ox together. Or an ox and a mule. Any owner of livestock back-in-the-day would understand the importance of the animals being equally yoked—both for the sake of the animal and the job being done!

The Apostle Paul is asking believers to apply these principles to those we are yoked with in life—those with whom we are in close relationship with. This applies especially to marriage! If you are going to marry someone, you will be yoked with them! As a follower of Jesus, you want to be sure that you those you yoke yourself with share a genuine commitment to God.

Believers and unbelievers have different standards of right and wrong. They have different ways of dealing with conflict. You want to be yoked with someone who will abide by godly character prescribed by the Bible.

In fact, I would even recommend that a believer doesn’t even date an unbeliever! Why? It’s so easy to get your heart entwined with someone, and you will start to make excuses for why the above verse doesn’t apply to you! But God’s Word is more that “good advice” for you to “take or leave” as you want. God’s Word is truly the best recipe for your well-being.

But this verse doesn’t only apply to marriage. I believe this may also apply to someone you partner with in business or a ministry, perhaps, and for many of the same reasons above.

So…what if you have already yoked yourself to someone who is not a believer? For more on that, read Unequally Yoked: Now What?