Daily Devotions - Protecting Your Holy Temple

2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1 (NIV)
Warning Against Idolatry
14 Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? 15 What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? 16 What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will live with them
and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.” 17 Therefore, “Come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.” 18 And, “I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.” 7 Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.

 

How is unequal yoking an apt metaphor in this context?

Precious Lord, You are my God, my Savior, Redeemer, Defender and King. Your Holy Spirit has set me free to be who I am, to live with integrity and produce fruitfulness in my life. I am called to share Your Gospel with the world so that they know You as Lord and Savior. There are people who are immoral and they reject You. Help me to be kind and show Your love through casual relationships with people of this world even if their values are incompatible with my own. However, help me to be guarded when it comes to close personal relationships with people who's core beliefs conflict with Your Word. The result of a close partnership with someone with opposite values, is like yoking a plow with unequal kinds of animals such as an ox and a donkey. Unequal yoking causes the plow to go around in circles and unable to perform the task that is needed. To have a close partnership with someone who has opposite values is unproductive, distracting and destructive to my relationship with You. It can block the Holy Spirit from working in me and cause me to listen to voices that lead me away from You. I know what I stand for, what I believe in and what I care most about.  I don't want to compromise my values with the world's values to please someone else.  Keep me from worshiping idols including anything or anyone that is incompatible with Your Holiness. Since You live in me, I am Your Holy Temple. I want to protect the purity of Your Temple out of devotion and reverence to You.  Amen