Bible Reading: 2 Corinthians 6:14-18
Don’t team up with those who are unbelievers. How can goodness be a partner with wickedness? 2 Corinthians 6:14
“SO, WHAT’S WRONG with dating non-Christians?”
Wherever dating is part of the culture, Christian students ask this question. And whenever they ask this question, they probably get the same answer: “Second Corinthians 6:14 says not to be ‘yoked’ or teamed up with unbelievers.”
That’s a tough teaching to accept, especially if you haven’t found dating material among the Christians in your world. So you start making excuses for wanting to go against God’s plan:
“There aren’t any Christians I want to date.”
“Non-Christians have more fun than Christians.”
“I’ll go out with him (or her) only once or twice.”
“My friends want me to go, and I’ll disappoint them if I don’t.”
And the big one: “I might be able to lead him (or her) to Christ if we date.”
But what if your date doesn’t accept Christ and you get married? Ponder these possible outcomes:
Loneliness: Because the non-Christian is dead spiritually, he can’t communicate about things that matter hugely to a Christian.
Disappointment: The non-Christian said she would change but didn’t.
Mistrust: Because of lies and hurts, it’s hard to trust the non-Christian spouse.
Pressure: The Christian desperately wants the spouse to change, so she begins to nag and preach.
Resentment: Because of the pressure to change, the spouse gets angry and goes farther in the opposite direction.
Guilt: The Christian feels he has let everyone down-himself, his family, and God.
Depression: All the joy is gone. All that’s left are scars and heartaches. Fear: The Christian realizes that she will have to start life all over again with nowhere to go. That frightens her. The future seems terribly bleak.
The Next Generation: Children suffer tremendously because of a decision to marry the wrong person.
God isn’t out to spoil your fun. He wants to spare you the pain and heartache that can come from falling in love with a non-Christian. So hang in there and wait patiently for the right opportunities to come along.
REFLECT: How can God’s guideline in 2 Corinthians 6:14 help to protect you and provide for you-not make you miserable?
PRAY: Have a talk with God about your dating choices.
