Married to an Unbeliever?

2 Corinthians 6:14

Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?

I've wondered if anyone reading my last two posts has begun to identify with exactly what not to do in marriage?

That perhaps you've realized - maybe for the first time - that your husband is not a true believer in Jesus Christ. That perhaps he goes to church each week and has done all the denomination requirements, but by his everyday behavior and attitude, you can tell that this God thing is a Sunday thing.

And with that thought, I'm concerned that you feel hopeless.

So what do you do when you realize that you are married to an unbeliever? Divorce him? Hardly! Beat him over the head with your Bible and impress him with all your Jesus knowledge? (I wouldn't do that either - it'll backfire! Trust me.)

Let me give you some hope, dear sister. Scripture gives us some very specific directions in winning our lost men.

1 Peter 3:1 - "Wives, in the same way, be submissive to your husbands so that if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives when they see the purity and reverence of your lives." (emphasis mine)

(Do we need another lesson on submission? It's culture's bad word, but it works. Email me if we need another lesson on this very important and vital subject.)

1 Peter 3:4 - "Our beauty should be that of our inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight."

Choose to be a gentle woman.

When you study the life of Jesus in the gospels, you see that He loved people into the Kingdom. He didn't beat 'em over the head. In fact, I'm blown away by how the worst of sinners were drawn to Him. How can you be drawn to someone who makes you feel condemned or guilty? (Please don't confuse with condoning wrong behavior.) Jesus loved them and then presented truth.

There is so much that can be said on this subject. But the point today is to encourage you - for you to know that there is hope.

Let me close with one of my favorite Scriptures:
Joel 2:25 - "I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten."

Even if you've blown it with your own marriage, there's hope dear sister. Start doing things God's way and the times that are hard - maybe even miserable - God is able to redeem and repay these locust eating years.