Unequally Yoked

Unequally Yoked

Eunice

Read: Acts 16:1-3; 2 Timothy 1:5

As Melody watched her children singing in the Sunday morning Christmas program, she wished that her husband sat beside her. Melody longed with all her heart for him to share her faith in Christ, but he made it clear that he had no interest in anything spiritual. Although she tried not to preach at him, sometimes her frustration got the better of her, like this morning. Melody couldn’t help wondering what effect his attitude would have on the kids. Would they imitate their father and refuse to go to church when they got older? Would they ever worship together as a family?

The Jewish woman in today’s verses probably experienced some of the same feelings and questions as Melody. Eunice probably became a Christian through the apostle Paul’s early preaching. Although her husband was a Greek and apparently not a believer, Eunice, with the help of her mother, trained her young son in the Scriptures. As a result of her faithfulness, Timothy became a godly man much admired for his exemplary lifestyle. He became Paul’s protégé and, later, his trusted coworker. Eunice had the joy of seeing God use her son in powerful ways that influenced countless lives.

Christian women who are married to unbelievers struggle with unique questions, problems, and anxieties. In addition to the typical pressures of marriage, they are unable to share the most important thing in their lives with their spouses. Some women become overbearing or preachy out of a desire to encourage spiritual interest in their husbands. The Bible encourages Christian women who are married to unbelievers to concentrate on being loving and godly wives. Such pure lives will be more powerful witnesses than any spoken words and will be more likely to influence unbelieving husbands and children.

You wives must accept the authority of your husbands. Then, even if some refuse to obey the Good News, your godly lives will speak to them without any words.

1 Peter 3:1