Do Not be Unequally Yoked

“Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?” 2 Corinthians 6:14 NKJV

In a story titled “Strava’s 2024 Yearly Report Shows That Social Runs Are In—and Burnout Is Out,” the writer said had this to say about the rise in running clubs the report showed: As backed by the data in Strava’s latest trend report, social running truly boomed in 2024, particularly among younger Gen Z athletes. In fact, 66 percent of Gen Z respondents (versus 58 percent of respondents overall) said that they made new friends through a fitness group in 2024, and 55 percent of Gen Z respondents (versus 48 percent overall) said that their main reason for joining a fitness group in the first place was to make social connections. This trend looks set to continue, if not grow even more, in 2025. Strava says that running is the fastest-growing social sport on its platform—and we can see why. Over the past 12 months, the number of running clubs on Strava increased by 59 percent and, of the Gen Z athletes surveyed, one-fifth said that they had been on a date with someone they met at a group fitness activity. So, if you’re looking for love, put down that dating app—and join a running club instead.

And, you know, while the world's idea of finding love might be looking for and dating someone a person shares a common hobby or interest with hoping that it leads to something else, the Bible has a very different view on dating—stating that a believer should “not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers” since righteousness and lawlessness are as completely opposite as light and darkness are. Which means that the first and most important thing a follower of Jesus Christ must look for in a potential mate is a shared love of the Father and a heart set on keeping His commands. Furthermore, to be sure a believer doesn’t end up “unequally yoked,” the standing of another should be established before the very first date to ensure that the charisma or smooth talk of an unbeliever might not tempt them into entering a worldly relationship that doesn’t honor God. 

So, when looking for a mate, be very careful my friend. You might think you can win an unbeliever to Christ by dating them, but chances are they will lead you away from Christ and into sin. Sadly, I’ve seen this happen many times and it rarely ends well. 

Heavenly Father, thank You for reminding us that bad company corrupts good character, and we must guard ourselves from being deceived by thinking otherwise. Lord, please help us to understand that we must be so set apart from the world that we would not even date the way the world does nor have sex outside of marriage. It’s in your precious name we pray Jesus. Amen. 

Happy Running!