Peace Between Unequally Yoked
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“Turn from evil and do good….seek peace and pursue it” (1 Peter 3:11).
“Oh, Lord, help me to have a truly Christian home!” Allison prayed. A tear trickled down her cheek as she breathed this prayer. How wonderful it would be if Jon would go to church with her and the children as other husbands did! But she and Jon were miles apart in their thinking.
“And Lord, it would be so nice if we could have family devotional time with the children each day,” she continued. “Bu I know it would anger Jon if I even mentioned it. I sure don’t want to make him more opposed to my Christian activities than he is already!”
Jon hadn’t understood the big change that had come over Allison after she had received Jesus Christ as her Savior. “What’s got into you, Allison?” he asked. “You’ve become a fanatic!”
And Allison had to admit that their relationship had suffered since she became a Christian. But she thought it was all her husband’s fault.
Then one Sunday her pastor preached on Matthew 7:1-3, where Jesus told His followers not to judge other people. “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?”
As the pastor spoke, Allison started thinking about the things that caused trouble between Jon and her-and she began to realize how the things she had been doing and saying had contributed to the friction. Bowing her head, she said, “Lord, help me to be more cooperative and understanding and to distinguish what is really important and what is not!”
As Allison looked to the Lord concerning this during the following week, she noticed that the strife between her husband and her became less and less, and they had a happier home.
If there is strife in our homes, we would be wise to pray as Allison did. Then in a quiet time with the Lord let us think over what has been causing the strife. Have we been trying to force a non-Christian mate to live as a Christian? Until the non-Christian receives Christ, that person will never understand why he has to do certain things and stop doing others.
Have we avidly sought to be at the church every time the doors are open — and in doing so, have we neglected our mate or home in some way? Here we would do well to compromise with our mate a bit in order to ease the tension. As Allison looked to the Lord, this particular way became apparent to her and she modified her program a bit to satisfy her husband.
The Bible says, “Turn from evil and do good….seek peace and pursue it” (1 Peter 3:11).
As we look to the Lord, He can show us ways in which we can live in more peace with our families.
About the Author
This devotional was written by Muriel Larson. Read more about Muriel: http://www.talk.thelife.com/muriel-larson/
Questions
1. How can we discern the things we can compromise on without going against our Christian principles?
2. If our mates want us to do something that we know in my heart is wrong, should we do it?
3. How can we influence our children to go God’s way?
Comment
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Related Article
Advice: Although I have a take-charge personality, I am growing weary and frustrated of having to be the lead in the spiritual aspect of our marriage, when the Bible instructs exactly the opposite. Can you help me?
http://www.christianwomentoday.com/advice/husbandlead.html
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You are more than welcome, i pray things get better of both of you.
I’ll keep you and your family in my prayers.
Keep looking up!
Thank you so much for your encouraging words. I never really thought about actually praying for things to get easier for him and to be better for him – I have just been asking God to change him. He is your typical male, hiding his angst and struggling… he would never let me know that everything is ‘getting’ to him. I know that it all has to be hard for him, despite the strong face he wears. I will start asking God to help him and to show him just how great He can be. Thank you for taking the time to advise me – I am so glad for people like you. God bless you!!!
Lindsay, I really feel for you, and will be praying for you, the only thing that i am giving to say is that you leave things in the hands of God, seek His face continuelly and listen to what he has to say, and do it.
God and God alone will give you the guidance that you seek, stay in the word and he will reveal His way to you.
I do understand what you are going through, because i have been there, you don’t have to be on your knees all the time to talk to God, all you’ve got to do is look up and whisper a prayer while you do your housework, doing the dishes, ask Him to give you a word to hold on too, you can steal away in your bathroom, while everyone else is sleeping. Just keep loving him (your husband) be the wife to him like it tells you in scripture, keep being kind, gentle, loving true, and it could be possible that God will work throug you to change your husbands heart.
Pray for him in the things that concern him, his fathers business, for example ask God to help him, to show him the way, and when things work out for him you could possible casue him to see God through the outworking of your prayers fro him. These are just a few examples, let the holy spirt lead you and direct you, and i’m sure things will work out for you according to God’s will.
I, myself, am unequally yoked in my marriage. It is so hard sometimes – I feel as if I’m on egg-shells a lot , never knowing if what I’m about to say, or do, is going to cause an argument or not. My husband is a very hard-working man and takes great care of us financially. He is very sweet and loving towards me for the most part and keeps me laughing all the time. He loves to spend time with me – he prefers me to be home when he’s home (just cuddling, hanging out, watching TV – or traveling with the kids to have some fun) because he isn’t home a whole lot. He works about an hour away and his son plays a lot of sports so most nights he isn’t home until after my two sons and I have already eaten dinner and are getting ready for bed. He works very hard. He has a very stressful job plus we are trying to build a home (which has been one step forward and 8 steps back, it’s a mess), we have 3 boys between us, (he is having a really hard time controlling his 17.5 yr old son) and he’s trying to run his late father’s businesses that he left behind. (I wish he would let God in because he needs Him the most!) I feel torn between him and my duties to God, such as going to church, reading my bible, doing devotions with the kids, being involved and helping with church activities. I keep praying that God will open the eyes of his heart – I would give anything in the world to have a good Christian husband that would be my partner in bringing holiness to this family. I know that God knows my desires and I know, one day, He will answer my prayers. It’s just so hard waiting, and knowing what to do in the meantime. I don’t want to push my husband away, which seems to be the case sometimes. I don’t want to be divorced from him… I love him. I just want so much for him to change.
This is a wonderful devotional, and it helpa others to know just how to respond to situtations like this in their own life.
Which reminds me of the scripture verse,” man ought to alwasy pray and not faint”. for when we face situtains like this we must stay close to god, or seek to get closer to him,in our quiet times so we can hear what He would tell us to do. I have been there once and am now divorsed for 21 years, and am now waiting upon the Lord to give me the mate that He has chossen just for me. Though he tarry long, I’m gonna wait, I learned this leson well.
Good Monday morning!
Whenever we publish a devotional that relates to a specific life issue such as the one today about being married to an unbeliever, we realize that it directly addresses a narrower audience. If you’re not in this situation yourself, it’s likely that you know someone who is, so may these words equip you to be an encouragement. And, married or not, all of us face the question Dr Muriel poses, “How can we discern the things we can compromise on without going against our Christian principles?”
Yesterday, in his Mother’s Day sermon, our pastor reminded us of the hope and comfort there is for those married to unbelieving spouses:
“For the Christian wife brings holiness to her marriage, and the Christian husband brings holiness to his marriage. Otherwise, your children would not have a godly influence, but now they are set apart for him” (1 Cor 7:14).
Take comfort. Whatever the pain in your heart today, know that God sees, God hears, God knows.