You’re Not Alone
Scenario #1:
You’re reading a faith-based book with the words God and faith in the title. When you put the book down, you’re careful to lay it face down so the title’s not obvious. Or better yet, you stuff it in the drawer you know your spouse never goes into.
Scenario #2:
Your Bible, it has this really nice cover. Not for protection, but so you can leave it out by the chair you do your quiet time in (before your spouse even gets up). The cover does a good job hiding the fact that it contains a Bible.
Scenario #3:
The latest Bible study you’re doing with your women’s group—you make sure your covered Bible sits on top of it so your spouse won’t get upset and think the church is “brainwashing” you again.
Any of this sound familiar? Those who live in a difficult unequally yoked situation know exactly what living their faith like this is like. It can be lonely, discouraging, and very isolating. Everything the enemy wants. But don’t let that scoundrel win. Find a support group. You’re not alone. God might even have something in place for you, and He’s waiting for you to ask Him.
While I lived in Europe, I attended an international church. One day a woman pulled me aside and handed me a slip of paper. On it was the verse from 1Peter 3:1-2, “Wives, in the same way be submissive to your husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, when they see the purity and reverence of your lives.” (NIV) She told me to pray about whether or not I should participate in this support and prayer group.
Are you kidding? I couldn’t get there fast enough. I’d never heard of such a group. The first time we met, this strange and wonderful feeling of being understood came over me, and I didn’t even have to explain my situation. They knew.
They just knew.
Being part of such a group can be an amazing encouragement. There is nothing like being understood. A warm comfort comes in and soothes an ever-present ache. Meeting and sharing with other Christians creates bonds. And nothing creates a bond stronger than Jesus. However, let me stress how critical it is that, if you are a woman, you meet only with other women. Or the reverse if you are a man. This is not your typical Bible study situation—it is a support group. And mixing sexes is just a set-up for temptation.
Let me create another scenario for you. You’ve come to the group tonight tired and worn out. The last thing you did before leaving was argue with your spouse over some mundane thing, but for you, it was simply more evidence to how far from God your husband really is.
You’re ready to bare your heart tonight, knowing this group is what gets you through the week, month, or whatever. Before you even get to share your heartache, the godly gentleman (we’ll call him Ted) shares how he’s struggled with his wife over some issue that sounds remarkably like your own.
The only difference is, you see in Ted what you wish you’d seen in your husband. You notice yourself drawn to him, the ache of what you don’t have increases, and suddenly Ted is looking mighty good in your eyes.
I think you can imagine what could happen next. And the enemy loves this kind of stuff. Relationships are his main target. Why? Because God created us for relationships—first and foremost with Him, then with others.
Ultimately, an unequally yoked marriage can be more of a target than a Christian one because a soul is at stake. The enemy with fight tooth and nail to keep that unbelieving spouse from coming to know God by undermining the witness of the believing spouse. That’s why it’s so critical that we keep looking to God to fill those needs our spouses can’t yet fill.
Don’t let the enemy fool you. You’re not alone, but you have been called to battle. So fight to win. With God on your side, how can you lose?
