How to Build a Long-Lasting Yoke ~ And a Titus 2sday Link Up!

When he spends eight hours
tearing down and building a fence,
it’s like I do, too...
I just love the one flesh concept!
 ~ Ree, aka The Pioneer Woman

In Mark 10 verse nine, Jesus says, “What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.” The word "asunder" here means to divide or come between.

Certainly we understand that people shouldn’t come between a husband and wife, but do we stop to consider the gravity of the separations we cause? Any number of things can come between a husband and wife such as pride, selfishness, anger, lust, bitterness, deceit, and greed. When left to fester they further separate a man from the love of his wife.

God didn’t intend for married people to live as though they were still single, but rather that they would embrace the partnership of marriage which unites men and women as one.

And the two will become one flesh. So they are no longer two, but one flesh.. ~ Mark 10:8, NIV

Looking again at verse nine, we see the word “joined.” The Greek word for joined is syzeugnymi, meaning “to fasten to one yoke.”

In order to harness the power of oxen, farmers have been using wooden beams, known as yokes, to pair the oxen together. Not only does it give them twice the strength that one ox would, but it’s designed to keep the pair from going their separate ways.

How does one go about building this yoke?

“The oxen are going to be completely dependent on this piece of equipment throughout their work. If it breaks, it could endanger the people with the oxen and the oxen themselves. It will be under great stress when the oxen are full grown, weighing perhaps a ton each, and are pulling with all their strength on this yoke. So it is definitely worth the trouble to make it in the best possible way.” (International Society for Cow Protection)

In the same way the yoke that we have as a couple is an essential part of keeping our family together. That warning resonates with me, as I consider the potential pain we can cause should our yoke come apart. The minute that we let anyone or anything come between us, we are weakening that bond of unity that’s ordained by God.

So how do we avoid separation, and keep the unity in tact? We work to do this in a number of ways, all of which have to do with patience, understanding, kindness, and all things pertaining to Godly love.

• Give up your pride and make the first move toward reconciliation, even if it feels like you’re always the one making peace. This doesn’t mean that you’re weak. Humility is a sign of strength.
  
  
• Put away all selfishness and consider the desires of your family. Prioritize them over a desire to please yourself.
  
  
• Control your anger. Every word that you say and every temper tantrum you have can be controlled. Choose your words and actions wisely.
  
  
• Avoid lust at all costs. Don’t put yourself in a position where you are vulnerable to men or which you may cause them to lust.
  
  
• Be willing to give up your time for family time. Of course it’s good to have both, but ensure that you keep a healthy balance, don’t let the scale tip.
  
  
• Give up the desire to be lazy. If your house is messy tidy it up before sitting on the phone with a friend. If your idea of a healthy meal is a burger and fries, then take a little extra time to shop for wholesome ingredients so that you’re taking care of the physical needs of your family.

Remember, there are times when your yoke will come under great stress. So it’s definitely worth your trouble to build it in the best possible way!


Darlene

For comments or questions, contact me at:
darlene[at]darleneschacht.net

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Author of The Good Wife's Guide, now available in paperback.