A Growing Epidemic?

It seems to be a very common occurrence these days to see a Christian in a relationship with either an unbeliever or a carnal Christian. Perhaps you know someone in this situation as I do. They have linked themselves, oftentimes physically in sin, to another who does not have their best interest or the Lord's perfect will in mind.

An "it's us against the world" mentality typically occurs when fellow believers call these sinful actions and spiritually unequal relationships into accountability. This us vs. the world view creates a very powerful bond that will not be broken until the blinders are removed and the reality of the situation is clearly seen. Unfortunately, this can take years. Loved ones often feel helpless and like bystanders watching an impending trainwreck. What's a mom to do to avoid this happening to her children? What if your child is in this situation right now?

Having since been restored from that type of relationship when I was younger, I can tell you I have so much more respect for those who spoke up in boldness to me (though I did not feel the same at the time) than those who went along with it and even supported and encouraged those poor choices I was making in the interest of being a 'real' friend or out of fear of losing relationship with me.

As moms (and dads), we need to be proactive in not only praying for our children's future spouses, but also preparing them to be godly husbands and wives. Most importantly, we should talk to our kids as soon as they are of age. Explain that dating is an interview process to find the one you will spend your life with. Make a list of what they are looking for in a godly spouse and pray over it with them and refer back to it frequently. Go over the "red flags" to look for such as pressuring into physical involvement, how they treat their parents and others, anger issues, spiritual compromise, etc. Finally, we need to let them know what mom and dad say is acceptable to bring home in a perspective date. My hope is that they would not feel restricted in this area, but that they instead would want God's best for themselves, know how to look for it, and settle for nothing less.

My prayer for our children and for all Christian youth is that they would skip all the wasted emotions and time and just commit to allowing God to choose their spouse, remaining pure no matter how difficult the rejection gets when you say "no".

As I see loved ones struggle with this, I am reminded that the Lord redeems, restores the years the locust has eaten, and deals wondrously with us in spite of our sinful choices. (Joel 2:25-27) He goes on to assure and comfort us in this passage, twice, that we will never be ashamed. If you or someone you know has gone through something similar or is even going through it now, I pray you will find hope in His message, boldness to have those difficult conversations, and peace in our Redeemer and Restorer.

Let's pray together for our children, their spouses, and all of those who find themselves bound to a spiritually unequal partner.