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
Prince was a big, spirited, chestnut horse that we had on our farm. He was a good worker, and was always willing to be in harness. He seldom had to be urged to move more quickly. I enjoyed his willingness as I worked with him hauling logs or pulling a pung sled. He was a good horse, and I still miss the grand old fellow. But it took two horses to haul the mowing machine around the hayfields, so Prince needed a partner for that chore. My uncle had a big old gray horse that he loaned us for haying. Those two horses did not make a good team. Prince was eager; Dick was lazy. Prince had a brisk pace; Dick shuffled. Prince understood where he was to go; Dick wandered off to the right every chance he could. Prince responded well to commands; Dick ignored everything I said. Prince stood quietly when I had to tend to the mower; Dick jerked ahead and backwards for no known reason. Prince and Dick were in an unequal yoke, and together they did not get much work done. If an unequal yoke is not good for horses, how much worse is it for Christians and unbelievers?
We know that a mixed marriage between a believer and non-believer is a disaster. So too is a business partnership between a child of God and a child of the devil. These ought to never occur. But there are many other unwise yokes that Christians enter into that we don’t seem to have such an aversion to. What about the community organizations for schools and other institutions around us? A Christian can be caught in situations where dishonesty or unfairness are required, and the unequal yoke pinches. A brother told me about being invited to join one of the service clubs where he would help with their various campaigns to raise money for good causes in the community. He turned down the invitation, knowing that, as good as those causes might be, there is no cause greater than the faithful spreading of the Gospel. Many of us have personal friends who are unsaved. We need to be very careful that such friendships do not become unequal yokes that take us to places and have us participating in activities that are a reproach to Christ.
The yoke of Christ does not fit well on a neck that is also yoked with unbelievers. Which yoke will you wear today? -Jim MacIntosh