Painful Reminders

"Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness" (2 Corinthians 6:14)?

The morning started with the warmth of a spring sun and God's prompting to take the children outdoors. Winter had been long, and I knew their spirits needed refreshment. Calling homeschooling off for the afternoon, I sent each child his separate way to enjoy his individual interests. My youngest set out to watch the ants as they built their new home, my oldest started down the road for a bike ride, and my two middle children walked to the paddock for a leisurely horseback ride.

After working in my garden for a few minutes, I looked up to see a riderless horse running past me with broken reins dangling from its bridle. As I wheeled around to find my children, I saw my son running toward me with a panicked look on his face. Just then, my daughter appeared staggering and incoherent, holding what was left of the reins in her hands. I quickly took her inside the house to help her lie down. As my son followed us, he proceeded to tell me what had happened. Deciding to ride bareback together, my daughter rode in front with my son sitting behind her. However, as they started to trot, my son lost his balance and fell, grabbing his sister as he went down. Together, they had slipped off the horse's back, and in the fall, my daughter had struck her head on a large rock. After a visit to the doctor, we spent the next three days anxiously watching as my daughter recovered from a concussion and amnesia.

Many things contributed to my children's accident that afternoon. Their horse was overly frisky, they failed to ride with a saddle, and most of all, they shouldn't have been riding double since my son was an inexperienced rider. My daughter's painful lesson was verbalized when she recovered and said, "Sorry, I wasn't thinking. I should have never let him ride with me."

Too many Christians have also learned the same painful lesson — yoking yourself to the wrong person is sure to bring you down. Although we are to reach the lost with the love of Christ, God exhorts us to remember that we are His temple (2 Corinthians 6:16). There's only one way to reach the world yet remain separate and holy unto God. We must yoke ourselves to Him. "Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me" (Matthew 11:29a).

Father, teach me how to love the lost without losing my love for You. Purify my life and use me for Your glory. In the name of Jesus, Amen.

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Comments(15 comments)

FAITH A 04/18/2009 06:20:01

This article is so timely. I just discovered that someone I care about is drug addicted. It is a horrible revelation because I care so much about him. Yet I realize that this is a friendship that will have to go.Runing across this devotional this morning is a god-send. Thank you so much!

V W 04/18/2009 10:58:23

Will you not be there fir him/her??

VW.

TAMIA D 04/18/2009 15:38:44

The Lord is always faithful in his timing. This is just what I needed to help strengthen me today

SHEREE S 04/18/2009 21:10:30

This is a true reminder. I married one! Disaster daily, heartfelt pain and agony, and loneliness. Remember the scripture and don't end up like me.

SUSAN H 04/18/2011 03:23:37

Sheree, I married one too. 19 years of nothing but pain and loneliness. Yes to everyone out there, remember that Scripture, teach it to your children so that they don't end up like this. ((hugs)) of support and understanding to you Sheree, Susan H.

CARIN M 04/18/2011 06:30:08

Faith A,

I think the author is actually leading you from the opposite direction that you are thinking of going.

To keep you eyes on Jesus, while you help your friend.

To be yoked to our LORD and put our burdens on Him, while helping the lost.

This friend needs a believer in his/her life to point the way to Christ.

The Bible teaches against unequally yoked marriages; but a friendship is not a marriage.

I encourage you to reach out to him with the love of Christ; otherwise you are showing him that Christians really don't care and run at the first sign of trouble.

Perhaps through your seeds and words he can leave his addiction in time for a better road.

CRYSTAL M 04/18/2011 07:02:12

Faith A....

All I can say is Pray Pray Pray for the person...( Pray without ceasing)

I too was addicted to drugs for 17 years....I believe God delivered me from that..( I am almost 5 years clean)..it takes a lot of patience with that person..(not enabling) but time...

And there is a point you have to Disconnect from that person....if they continue to walk in their sin......my sister in law is a drug addict and there came a point where I stopped engaging with her until she gets clean....

You do it because you love them.....sometimes you have to let them go...

Stay Strong....:)

ELAINE P 04/18/2011 08:27:55

Gods love heals all wounds, comfort all aching souls, gives us faith and strength to carry on.

CHRISTINA M 04/18/2011 10:11:57

Thank you for a great illustration!

Why do so many believers think this Scripture is referring to marriage? Verses 14-18 (and a look at why this letter was written to the church @Corinth) make it clear.

CARIN M 04/20/2011 09:13:48

Christina,

I re-read those verse and you may be correct, as far as those particular verses go. It would seem though that Paul is speaking against fellowship with unbelievers. Do we not do this every Sunday morning in our current churches?

In other passages, directly addressing marriage, Paul does speak of the importance of believers marrying believers. He further does state though that if an un-believer is willing to stay in marriage with a believer that the believer is not to leave. The passages regarding marriage directly though are in a different part of Cor.

ELIZABETH C 04/18/2012 06:27:23

We are not called to abandon those who are unbelievers! Being \"yoked\" suggests being controlled by unbelievers. We should allow and pursue God\'s control in our life, and LOVE LOVE LOVE those unbelievers...ESPECIALLY unbelievers! Jesus didn\'t call us to do easy things, no. Rather, he called us to love others (everyone) as yourself. This does not call us to run. This calls us to love completely. Jesus went to the prostitutes, murderers, aldulters...unbelievers. If we don\'t go to them, love them, show them the path to salvation in Christ alone, we aren\'t following Christ\'s call to the Great Commission. I know this personally. We have family members who absolutely do not believe...atheist would be an understatement. And their lifestyles show it! Instead of running (which believe me, is my first knee-jerk reaction) we have to CHOOSE to stay in their lives and love them! One of them told me \"Why would I want to be a Christian when every Christian has slammed the door in my face? If heaven is full of people like that, I don\'t want to go there!\" Let\'s interpret this devotional for what the author intended. Being YOKE = CONTROLLED. Be yoked with God Almighty, the Maker of Heaven and Earth. And take the gospel to the world. Your world. Love in Christ to you all!

KATHY S 04/18/2012 08:38:58

I do not judge, we all have things that aren\'t perfect, and some addictions that are legal, I battle with smoking cigarettes. I have cut down and am trying.

Years back,long before i had my son, I was very much in love with a man that had a horrible drug addiction. When I met him, he was not using, I had no idea until 1/2 year later, when I found him with his addiction.

Now, being the person that I was, I tried to help, for 6 long years. Tried to take him to the Church, The Psychiatrist, in and out of Rehab hospitals.

Staying up with him while he had withdrawls, sitting in the car while he had a \"stop\" ro make.

I endangered my own life, and was always in prayer that God would protect me. God did. But, the toll that it took on me, existed a long, long time.

He stole from me repeatedly, I couldn\'t even keep cleaniung supplies in the house, I would come home and they would all be missing, he would return them and get money for his habit.

I bought him a bike, thought riding would help with his stress, returned it within one day. Bought him clothes, all returned. I wish I had the good job and money that I did then, but, God provides for my son and I always.

So, it\'s good to help, but be careful, there is a point to \"get out\" before it destroys your own life.

My brother who has always been a follower of Christ, used to say that it was better for a man to help a man, and a woman to help a woman in this situation.

My judgement many times was clouded by Love, and I see now, what I could not see then.

This was not the only case. My son\'s Father, also when I met him, claimed he didn\'t drink or do any type of drugs, months into it, he would dissappear, leaving me with his 2 children, no money, no food, and his 2 children.

In this instance, I was already pregnant with my son. My Mother intervened, she warned me not to marry him under any circumstances as my Father was an alcoholic.

My Mother suffered 44 years with a good man that had a bad addiction, he was saved before he passed away, now he is addiction free and with Jesus.

So, yes, definatley help those in need, but, when there is an addiction, my brother was right, if I ever met someone again, having these afflctions, I would basically hand that person to our Pastor, or another man in the church that could help them, with \"unclouded\" judgement.

One thing we can always do for others is \"Pray\" for them.

May God for give me if I am wrong in my decisions.

KATHY S 04/18/2012 12:14:44

P.S.

Did anyone else not receive this devotional this morning?

I had to go into yesterday\'s and go to \"most recent posts\" to read todays.

I just wondered if anyone else had trouble.

Thanks,

Kathy

MELISSA B 04/18/2012 19:30:58

I have not received a devotional for several days. Thought it may have just been on my end. We\'ll see tomorrow. May have to contact AOP.

KATHY S 04/18/2012 20:09:57

Thanks Melissa, I was wondering if I was the only one.

Kathy


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