Surviving a Spiritual Mismatch

Author and speaker Lee Strobel says someone once came between him and his wife and almost destroyed their marriage. It wasn’t a co-worker or an old flame.

It was Jesus Christ.

A few years after getting married, Leslie became a Christian. Lee remained a staunch atheist. Their worldviews became so diametrically opposed to one another that their marriage was threatened.

The potential for disunity is why God gave us the wisdom found in 2 Corinthians 6:14, which says, “Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers.” Yokes are fitted over the necks of two animals of equal size. It allows them to pull in the same direction as one. If the animals are mismatched, one might pull at a different pace or go in a different direction altogether.

But what do you do if you are unequally yoked? How can believers live out their faith in ways that draw their spouse closer to themselves and to Jesus?

On our Focus on the Family Broadcast “Surviving a Spiritual Mismatch,” we’re airing a message from Lee and Leslie Strobel that will be of help to couples who hold different worldviews.

They share how Leslie’s attitude and behavior in the weeks and months after giving her heart to Christ played a significant role in convincing Lee that the God of the Bible is real. It’s a great story you’ll want to hear.

Whether you became a Christian before or after marriage, their answers to these questions will be invaluable:

Is it okay to leave my marriage if my spouse is unwilling to consider a relationship with God?
How can I find hope in the midst of a spiritual mismatch?
What role does a supportive community of believers play in helping me on my journey?
I’m single. Should I date people who aren’t Christians?
Both my spouse and I are believers, but we disagree about how best to approach a relationship with God. How should we reconcile those differences?
How can our spiritual differences affect our children and what can I do about it?

Tune in on your local radio station, online, on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, via Google Podcasts, or take us with you on our free phone app.

Lee Strobel is an award-winning former legal editor of The Chicago Tribune and is a New York Times best-selling author of more than twenty books. He serves as Professor of Christian Thought at Houston Baptist University. His book The Case for Christ, recounting Lee’s investigative journey from atheism to faith is the basis for the motion picture of the same name.

Leslie Strobel has been involved in women’s ministries and one-on-one mentoring in the churches where she and Lee have served.

Before I close, I’d like to extend an invitation for you to become a special partner with us through our monthly “Friends of Focus on the Family” program. When you do, I’ll send you a copy of Lee and Leslie’s book Spiritual Mismatch: Hope for Christians Married to Someone Who Doesn’t Know God as a way of saying thank you for touching others with the love of Christ. You’ll also receive member-exclusive benefits. To make your pledge, or for more information, click here.