2 Corinthians 6:14 [show] Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? (ESV)
: Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?

We should distance ourselves from those people that do not bring out the best in us- those that thrive on gossip and judgments of others, those who value things that are not pleasing to God… those with the potential to tempt us into their wrongs. By not allowing those things/people in our lives, we are at less risk for Satan to influence us in any way… by not being surrounded by people who live in a way that we do not wish to live, we also have less of a chance of desiring the wrong things, so that we are not taken captive by our own thoughts, but we are more able to take control of our thoughts instead.

If at all possible, we are to witness to people about God’s grace and love, but without becoming involved with non-believers. Eventually, it becomes hurtful to care about a person who does nothing but destroy themselves… it’s hard to give your testimony to someone that is on the wrong path without sounding like you are trying to make them feel less than you are. It is important to allow Christ to guide you, so that you are able to let them know how WONDERFUL Christ is and how BLESSED you are because of Him without offending them when they are in the depths of despair and have no hope… If you do offend them, however, you have done your part and as long as you have acted out of love and not out of judgment, you have done your best to plant the seed of faith in them…

The key is to do so with without compromising your own spirituality by making yourself vulnerable to Satan. You can love someone from a safe distance, and you can minister to those who are lost without being involved in their sins. Do not be yoked together with nonbelievers in that sense… your only attachment to them should be to bring them to Christ. Past that, there is no other reason for your fellowship with them. For some, this is what causes them to backslide- it is difficult at times to let go of relationships with those you befriended before you were saved, but keeping those people in your life puts you at a much higher risk of turning back to your old ways.

* Written by Kathleen Robertson June 26, 2006