Who are your close friends? Who do you hang out with, do things with? Where are you looking for a partner? What are you looking for in a spouse? Are you looking for key components in their personality? Are you looking for them to have like beliefs?
When I was younger, I didn’t really pay much attention to who I became friends with. It just kind of happened. Perhaps I worked with them, and our personalities clicked. I may have been introduced to them by someone else. But I didn’t evaluate them to make a conscience decision to befriend them.
Take a look at what the Apostle Paul writes to the church in Corinth in today’s passage. He warns against being yoked to unbelievers. We may think that warning is irrelevant, it doesn’t apply to us. We may think it means we never associate with someone who is an unbeliever. Both thoughts are incorrect.
We must associate with unbelievers if we are to tell them about Jesus. If we do not interact with unbelievers, we will never bring anyone new to Christ. But that doesn’t mean we need to become close friends, even if we are being friendly toward them. At least, not until they have committed their life to Christ.
The same is true for marriage. Though it happens, it is extremely rare that a person who is a believer in Christ and one who is not make a marriage last a lifetime. They have opposing interests that eventually pull them apart, unless one or the other make a significant change. Too often, the believer gets pulled away to their own destruction.
This also applies to business partnerships. Unless you hold the same values, the partnership will be rocky and likely fall apart. There will be disagreements on how to conduct business. One is concerned solely with making money, while the other is concerned about providing a quality service. Opposing viewpoints will be the genesis of a split.
I pray we all evaluate our close friends and partners. I pray we decide to partner with fellow believers. I pray each one of us commits to Christ and following wise advice in all our relationships. Be committed to Christ. Be friendly to others. Listen to wise advice. Choose your close friends wisely. Choose your partner wisely.
2 Corinthians 6:14-15 Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?
Marty Pressey 