Living with an Unbeliever
Reading: 1 Peter 3:1-6
“If a woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to live with her, she must not divorce him” (1 Cor 7:13)
Dear wife, wedded to an unbeliever, you can’t sit around waiting for your husband to be saved. What if he never gets saved? Your happiness should not depend on his being saved. You are a wife whether you are married to a believer or unbeliever. So God wants you to be a Christian wife though you are unequally yoked. A wife is fashioned by God, both in her physical and emotional makeup, to be complementary to her husband; to adapt to and complete him. She can have a special ministry to him and contribute to his life in ways that no one else can. Abigail (1 Sam 25) and Eunice (2 Tim 1:5) are models.
A good helper is faithful. The husband can always under any circumstances, depend on her (Prov 31:11,12). A good helper is a counselor. Many wives mistakenly believe that it is not submissive to give advice to their husbands, to share ideas and opinions, to make suggestions or to differ with them. Submission is not being passive. Learn to communicate and be a good resource person that your husband will come to rely on your advice and opinions.
A good helper is a companion, a friend. You loved him when you married him; so continue to love him. A friend is one who loves at all times (Prov 17:17). She is a willing sexual partner, not out of obligation but out of love and desire. Don’t look at your husband as a child of satan. “The unbelieving husband is sanctified through his wife” (1 Cor 7:14). So the unequally yoked wife is completely free to enjoy a full, meaningful sexual relationship with her husband.
Don’t wear the “holier-than-thou” attitude criticizing him. Make him feel welcome at home. Jesus reached out to drinkers, gluttons, prostitutes and sinners with His love. Do not embarass him before his friends. Then he would rather go out with his friends than bring them home. Learn to show your disapproval without being judgmental or condemning. The virtuous woman in Proverbs 31 was a woman of pleasant disposition. She was a nice person who enjoyed life and was fun to be around (Prov 31:13). She didn’t yell at the kids or nag her husband. She was happy and content (Prov 31:18,25).
Interestingly, we are not told anything about her husband’s spiritual status. But because she was the kind of woman God wanted her to be, she had a happy home and a contented, loving husband.
(Thoughts from “How to Live with an Unbeliever” by Jo Berry)
Dr. Lilian Stanley
13 Church Colony
Vellore 632006, India
+91 9843511943
lilianstanley@gmail.com
Blessing Youth Mission
13 Church Colony
Vellore 632006, India
+91-416-2242943, +91-416-2248943
hq@bymonline.org
www.bymonline.org
Click here for more options
To buy books written by Dr. Lilian Stanley, kindly reach to us in the follwing address
Blessing Literature Centre
21/11 West Coovam River Road,
Chintadripet,
Chennai 600 002, India.
+91-44-28450411, 8806270699
blc@bymonline.org
Living with an Unbeliever
Reading: 1 Peter 3:1-6
“If a woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to live with her, she must not divorce him” (1 Cor 7:13)
Dear wife, wedded to an unbeliever, you can’t sit around waiting for your husband to be saved. What if he never gets saved? Your happiness should not depend on his being saved. You are a wife whether you are married to a believer or unbeliever. So God wants you to be a Christian wife though you are unequally yoked. A wife is fashioned by God, both in her physical and emotional makeup, to be complementary to her husband; to adapt to and complete him. She can have a special ministry to him and contribute to his life in ways that no one else can. Abigail (1 Sam 25) and Eunice (2 Tim 1:5) are models.
A good helper is faithful. The husband can always under any circumstances, depend on her (Prov 31:11,12). A good helper is a counselor. Many wives mistakenly believe that it is not submissive to give advice to their husbands, to share ideas and opinions, to make suggestions or to differ with them. Submission is not being passive. Learn to communicate and be a good resource person that your husband will come to rely on your advice and opinions.
A good helper is a companion, a friend. You loved him when you married him; so continue to love him. A friend is one who loves at all times (Prov 17:17). She is a willing sexual partner, not out of obligation but out of love and desire. Don’t look at your husband as a child of satan. “The unbelieving husband is sanctified through his wife” (1 Cor 7:14). So the unequally yoked wife is completely free to enjoy a full, meaningful sexual relationship with her husband.
Don’t wear the “holier-than-thou” attitude criticizing him. Make him feel welcome at home. Jesus reached out to drinkers, gluttons, prostitutes and sinners with His love. Do not embarass him before his friends. Then he would rather go out with his friends than bring them home. Learn to show your disapproval without being judgmental or condemning. The virtuous woman in Proverbs 31 was a woman of pleasant disposition. She was a nice person who enjoyed life and was fun to be around (Prov 31:13). She didn’t yell at the kids or nag her husband. She was happy and content (Prov 31:18,25).
Interestingly, we are not told anything about her husband’s spiritual status. But because she was the kind of woman God wanted her to be, she had a happy home and a contented, loving husband.
(Thoughts from “How to Live with an Unbeliever” by Jo Berry)
Dr. Lilian Stanley
13 Church Colony
Vellore 632006, India
+91 9843511943
lilianstanley@gmail.com
Blessing Youth Mission
13 Church Colony
Vellore 632006, India
+91-416-2242943, +91-416-2248943
hq@bymonline.org
www.bymonline.org
Click here for more options
To buy books written by Dr. Lilian Stanley, kindly reach to us in the follwing address
Blessing Literature Centre
21/11 West Coovam River Road,
Chintadripet,
Chennai 600 002, India.
+91-44-28450411, Mob:8806270699
blc@bymonline.org
