This Ain't No Yoke!

2 Corinthians 6:14
Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?

Sookie Stackhouse and Bill Compton’s relationship was doomed from the beginning. She is a human/fairy and he is a 173 year old vampire. People kept telling Sookie that it wouldn’t work but she kept thinking that Bill was different and thought she could change him. He showed glimpses of humanity but the reality was that he was still a blood thirsty vampire. His destiny was living as an undead person who’s only hope of living was dying and her destiny was to return to paradise with her fairy family.

This tormented couple from the HBO series TrueBlood really represent the relationships that we all try to manage; a mismatch of souls. We are drawn to somebody that we can never be with because ultimately we are not on the same spiritual page. We want to save somebody who doesn’t want to be saved. We keep giving them our blood, sweat, and tears only to have them bite us in response to their animalistic nature or the capitulation to their dark side.

Paul warned the Corinthians that they should not be yoked together with unbelievers. This ain’t no Joke being Yoked to people who are the opposite in nature. We try to romanticize mess in hopes that we can change the nature of the individual at the expense of our sanity and stability. Paul says don’t do it because this ain’t no Yoke! A yoke was an instrument used for two oxen to pull a plow together. In order for them to pull together the yoke had to be equal or even. If it was unequal one would be pulling more than the other.

Wickedness will always be pulling against righteousness. Righteous will always win but its draining to keep pulling against wickedness. The danger is that bad company will corrupt good morals. The other danger is that the wickedness of the other person will contaminate your righteousness to the point you abandon your path of righteousness. Pulling an unequal yoke will always get you off track so make sure you are paired with the right person.

Bill Compton, a vampire, couldn’t fellowship with Sookie Stackhouse in the daytime because the sun kills vampires. Wicked people hate anything to do with the light. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the light.” If your friends can't worship God, come to church with you, pray with you or walk in the light then you’re unequally yoked and are in love with a vampire.

A good relationship must be equally yoked:

You must both love Jesus. Jesus said, “if you love me then you will keep my commandments.”

You should have something in common. If all you have in common is your sexual attraction your relationship will fade when the light comes on.

You must have the same values. Do you both believe the same family values? Is she a spender or a saver? Family first or work first?

You must be pulling in the same direction having the same goals.
You should share the same world view. What do you think about War? What do you think about Social Justice? What do you think about human rights?

Dear God
Thank you for yoking me with a spouse and friends who are headed in the right direction. Help me to always check myself to make sure I’m in alignment with your Holy Will so that I will not pull my spouse, my family, or my people in the wrong direction. Thank you most of all that I’m yoked to you and that your yoke is easy, your burdens are light. I’m glad I’m Yoked to you.

In Jesus Name,

Amen