2 Corinthians 6:14-Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? 

We probably would all agree, that our circle of friends growing up tended to think very similar to us.  Sometimes those friendships can last a lifetime, while others begin to “phase out” or grow apart as we like to say.  But whatever the outcome, the way we thought, in unison or division was probably the deciding factor…
When the apostle is addressing the Corinthian church, he wants them to understand that the depths in which they grow in Christ, is measured by how they think.  So it makes sense not to be “unequally yoked” or be “mismatched” with someone who doesn’t believe.  Not to say we shouldn’t keep our unbelieving friends, yet if we are growing in the way we think about Jesus, they should not persuade us in our faithfulness…
The problem with the Corinthians was that they were very much influenced by the world around them.  So it wasn’t smart for them to be “yoked” with people, who would sway the way they thought about Jesus.  The same goes for us today.  The depths of our relationships with people, will come down to how we think, are we unified or not?  Which is why you can know someone for years, and not be as close as you are, compared to someone you’ve known for a lot lesser time.  Because the way they think is in unison with you, which is how people grow together or apart…
This is why as Christians, a pursuit of the knowledge of Jesus Christ should be the priority.  Because to profess belief is one thing, to grow in knowledge to have the mind of Christ is a whole different thing!  That is why simply being a Christian and then marrying a Christian, is not enough to sustaina unified and enduring marriage.  Because if I never develop a mind in unison with God’s truth as to how I see the world, I could be in division with my spouse, who thinks with the mind of Christ.  So though we’re Christians, we’re divided, and that house is promised not to stand…(Matthew 12:25, Ephesians 1:17, Colossians 1:10)
Challenge yourself as to whether you are unified with Christ in the way you think, throughout areas in your life.  For us as Christians, so many things in society go against how we think about Christ and His Kingdom.  So it is important we immerse ourselves in God’s Word to be one with Jesus, and discover deep unity with one another, by how we think.
In His Love, Ld..