Romans 16:17(NLT)
“And now I make one more appeal, my dear brothers and sisters. Watch out for people who cause divisions and upset people’s faith by teaching things contrary to what you have been taught. Stay away from them.”
When my youngest daughter was in elementary school, one day she came home and said she had a rough day in school. Because of his behavior, one of her classmates caused them to miss out on recess. “It’s not fair!” She said. “We have to be penalized because of one person—but the teacher said we’re a team!” We all know that a team works together for the betterment of everyone, but when one person on the team fails, everyone feels the effect of it. This speaks to the wisdom and warning conveyed by God in Romans 16:17. All it takes is one person to disrupt the plan God has for you. So, we must be discerning about the individuals we allow access, because there will be some folks we simply need to keep far away from our lives.
God is not trying to make our joy any less. He wants us to be smart and sharp so that we are not snagged and trapped by one of satan’s tricks. People can be used by the enemy to buffet and separate us from God’s blessings, and the thing is, they can be awfully unsuspecting. We might think they are the nicest people, and they themselves might not mean to cause harm, but they do it any way. When we give people like this continual access to our lives, we’re asking for trouble.
God tells us in 2Corinthians 6:14 (NLT), “Don’t team up with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness?” To team up with a person is to join or connect to them in a way that resources are shared. The significance of this connectedness can vary, but the more intimate it becomes, the more we stand to lose.
Many of us have friends that we’ve known a long time, and sadly, they are still in darkness and don’t seem too interested in coming into the light. The wisdom of God’s Word in 2Corinthians 6:14 sheds light on the truth that we need to be very careful about these relationships. God’s Word is true, and there’s no compromising on it. He says what He means and means what He says. When we commit ourselves to a Godly lifestyle, there are bound to be hard decisions that come with this. The most important thing to keep in mind is that we can never compromise our relationship with Him. Nothing is worth that.
God delivered this warning about teaming up with unbelievers through the Apostle Paul, and we’re responsible for rightly dividing it. God isn’t telling us that we shouldn’t keep company with anyone that sins. Romans 3:23(NLT) says, “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.” All of us have sinned, but the difference between a sinner and a sinner that has repented is life and death. When we ask God to forgive our sins, and we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we receive the gift of eternal life. There are many people we know that will not make this choice, and although it is sad, we must continue to journey forward with the Lord.
As we grow in Christ and become closer to God, it’s inevitable that some of the people that were once close to us will fall off. Sometimes this stings a little, and we may even feel lonely, but God will fill the void in our lives. Sooner or later, we must realize that everyone can’t go where the Lord is taking us. We need to remember this especially as we posture ourselves for marriage. We may not want to admit it, but sometimes those most familiar to us are preventing us from growing the way we need to. In order for us to go further in our journey, we need to release them into the Lord’s hands and move forward. Don’t let the discomfort of this slow your momentum. Pray for those that were a part of your life. Learn to love them from a distance. Keep the Word of God close in your heart and stay anchored in faith as He propels you forward in His blessings and love.■
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
“Don’t Team Up with Unbelievers”, written by Kim Times, edited by Reverend Fran Mack and KLizzie for Sundie Morning Sistas ©2023. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord! SMS is dedicated to inspiring and encouraging Christian Women through the Word of God.