Shownotes
Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy
Welcome to Day 1253 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.
This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom
Don’t Team Up with Unbelievers – Ask Gramps
Wisdom – the final frontier to true knowledge. Welcome to Wisdom-Trek where our mission is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. Hello, my friend, I am Guthrie Chamberlain, your captain on our journey to increase wisdom and create a living legacy. Thank you for joining us today as we explore wisdom on our 2nd millennium of podcasts. This is Day 1253 of our trek, and it is time for our Philosophy Friday series.
Each Friday, we will ponder some of the basic truths and mysteries of life and how they can impact us in creating our living legacy. As we continue on this trek called life, sometimes we have questions about life, so our Friday trek is a time when we can “Ask Gramps.” Gramps will answer questions that you would like to ask your dad or granddad, but for whatever reason, you are unable to. No matter how old we are, I know that all of us would like the opportunity to ask Dad or Gramps questions about life in many areas.
We may mix it up a bit on our Friday episodes, but we will strive to keep them down to earth and enjoyable. If you have any questions that you would like to ask Gramps, please email them to guthrie@wisdom-trek.com.
So the question for this week is…
“Hey Gramps, I have heard that as a Christ-follower, we should not marry or become business partners with people who are not Christ-followers. Is it really that important as long as you have other values and life outlook that is important to each other?”
Don’t Team Up with Unbelievers
The short answer is, it is a big deal and very important. From the very beginning of creation, it was a big deal. We are created to be bearers of God’s image to all humanity as we are tasked with restoring His kingdom throughout the world. How can we restore God’s kingdom if our marriage or business partners are not of the same mind spiritually?
It was a big deal to Abraham that his son married in the faith as we read in Genesis 24:3, “Swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and earth, that you will not allow my son to marry one of these local Canaanite women.”
It should be a big deal today for anyone that is contemplating either marriage or business partnership. The New Testament carries this explicit warning in 2 Corinthians 6:14-18, “Don’t team up with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness? What harmony can there be between Christ and the devil? How can a believer be a partner with an unbeliever? And what union can there be between God’s temple and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God said:
‘I will live in them
and walk among them.
I will be their God,
and they will be my people.
Therefore, come out from among unbelievers,
and separate yourselves from them, says the Lord.
Don’t touch their filthy things,
and I will welcome you.
And I will be your Father,
and you will be my sons and daughters,
says the Lord Almighty.'”
These words that the Apostle Paul wrote to the church in Corinth are pretty stern words that we need to heed. You may be thinking, my fiancé, or potential business partner, are good people, they shouldn’t be called wicked or filthy things. They may indeed be upright people with great integrity, but unless they are Christ-followers, they are not in God’s sight. God is the standard for righteousness, not humans.
Paula, my wife of over 40 years and I were both Christ-followers with similar church backgrounds before we were married. We also had many other values about finances, lifestyles, and children, which made us very compatible. During our 40 years of marriage we have had very few problems or conflicts. It has been a blessing to “team up” with a partner who has common values and convictions in all areas of life.
It was not quite as clear, though, when we partnered in business with another couple, who professed to be Christian but turned out not to be. We did not conduct enough due-diligence, and because of this and many other factors, we ended up having to shut down our computer business and start over from scratch after nearly 18 successful years. It was financially devastating, but something that we will never forget. We learned some really valuable lessons. Because of the common financial values that Paula and I hold, after several difficult years, we were able to recover successfully. Who you team up with in marriage and business is a big deal.
You might be saying, “Gramps, I will be a good influence on a potential life or business partner, and they will come to faith.” But let me tell you, that rarely happens. If you play with fire, sooner or later, you will get burnt. It is not worth the potential heartache and grief that it may bring. If you are not aligned spiritually, you will not be aligned in life. Being in a marriage or business partnership with a non-believer is like driving a car with two steering wheels in it. Sure, you both might be driving in unison for a while, but eventually, one of you will decide to take a different road, as the other will attempt to steer another direction. One of you will have to give in to the will of the other, or you will end up crashing and destroying your marriage or business. It is not a pretty sight.
As a Christ-follower, the Bible is clear that God wants you to only team up with a partner in marriage or business who is also a Christ-follower. Certainly, it will also benefit you immensely if your other values and convictions about money, relationships, focus, and direction in life are in sync with each other, but if you are not aligned spiritually, it is a show stopper. Go no further.
That is a wrap for today’s question. Join us again next Friday for another question on our “Ask Gramps” episode. Our next trek is Mediation Monday, where we will help you reflect on what is most important in life. So encourage your friends and family to join us and then come along on Monday for another day of our Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy.
If you would like to listen to any of the past 1252 daily treks or read the associated journals, they are all available at Wisdom-Trek.com. I encourage you to subscribe to Wisdom-Trek on your favorite podcast player, so each day will be downloaded to you automatically.
Thank you for allowing me to be your guide, mentor, and, most of all, your friend as I serve you through the Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal.
As we take this trek together, let us always:
- Live Abundantly (Fully)
- Love Unconditionally
- Listen Intentionally
- Learn Continuously
- Lend to others Generously
- Lead with Integrity
- Leave a Living Legacy Each Day
I am Guthrie Chamberlain reminding you to Keep Moving Forward, Enjoy Your Journey, and Create a Great Day Everyday! See you on Monday!