Thursday November 12

compatibility in Christ

Get married. Make babies.” That’s the annual clarion call from the Singapore government due to a declining population challenge. As a single woman living in this small country, I know the message is targeted at me.

Marriage is a hot topic in Singapore, but it’s also something the apostle Paul lifted up in his writings. In 2 Corinthians 6:14-18, he presented some helpful principles for marriage, found in a passage addressing the fact that the church in Corinth was courting false apostles. “Don’t team up” (v.14) can also be rendered “do not be yoked with unbelievers” (NIV). Paul was likely referring to Deuteronomy 22:10, “You must not plow with an ox and a donkey harnessed together” (v.10). A yoke or harness is the wooden device fitted around the necks of two animals that binds them together in service. So Paul taught that to be “yoked together with [an unbeliever]” (v.14 NIV) isn’t honoring to God and can lead to relational misery.

He went on to describe what healthy compatibility looks like in a marital relationship. When choosing a life partner, he said we should ask:

• Would we be good partners for doing what honors God?

• Could we share intimate fellowship in the light of God’s truth? (v.14).

• Is there harmony in our understanding of Jesus being our Savior?

• Do we share a common inheritance in Him? (v.15).

• Are we both set apart for God and serving Him? (v.17).

A yoke leads two creatures or people in the same direction. So as we carefully consider whom to date and marry, it’s evident that compatibility in Christ is vital. May we consider these things and honor God in our relationships and in the marital counsel we give others! —Poh Fang Chia

read›
2 Corinthians 6:14-18  Don’t team up with those who are unbelievers (v.14).

more›
Read Ephesians 5:31-32 and consider why it’s vital for a believer in Jesus to marry a person who shares the same faith.

next›
How do you view compatibility in marriage? What other biblical principles are important to consider when choosing a life partner?     

Shopping for Home Improvement! (Modern Marriage Moments) from modernmarriagemoment on GodTube.