“Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” (Genesis 6:5, NKJV)
I found myself pondering Genesis 6 today, those mysterious verses about the sons of God and the daughters of men. Over the centuries, many interpretations have been suggested. Some see supernatural beings, others see tribal rulers, and others understand the passage as a spiritual picture of those who walked with God joining themselves to those who did not.
I am not trying to settle that debate. What struck me afresh was not about ancient giants or the world before the flood, but about a spiritual principle that still matters today. When lives moving toward God yoke themselves to lives moving away from Him, the result can become destructive.
This is not a statement about women, nor about gender at all. It applies equally to men and women, to husbands and wives, to friendships, partnerships, leadership teams, and any relationship where two people are joined in a shared direction.
Jesus spoke of a yoke, His yoke, as something that brings rest. A yoke assumes movement together, in the same direction, at the same pace, with a shared purpose. I often picture this as two people in the same boat. Disagreement about a detail can be uncomfortable, but when the disagreement runs deeper, touching worldview, values, or the understanding of the journey itself, the boat can begin to tear apart from the inside. Not every disagreement creates chaos, but an uneven yoke often does.
Genesis describes a world in which corruption spread until God brought judgment through the flood. However we understand the details, Scripture shows us a pattern that repeats itself. Misplaced yoking leads to distorted desire. Distorted desire gives rise to violence. Slowly, a world loses its way. While today’s storms look different, the spiritual reality remains the same.
The enemy still seeks to weaken faith through misaligned attachments.
At this point, the reflection could easily be misunderstood if left unfinished, especially when marriage is in view. For friendships, business relationships, or ministry partnerships, the wisest response to an uneven yoke may be to end or redefine the relationship. Marriage is different. Marriage is covenant. We do not read Genesis 6 and conclude that if a spouse rows in another direction, departure is the answer.
Instead, a different question emerges. How does a believer row like Jesus, even when the yoke feels uneven?
In seasons of conflict, high emotion, or exhaustion, deep spiritual strategies can feel unreachable. In His kindness, Jesus does not burden us with complexity in such moments. He gives us ways of being that are simple, though never easy. He teaches us to forgive without keeping score, to examine our own hearts honestly, to choose costly kindness where resentment would feel justified, and to refuse escalation even when provoked. These ways do not deny pain, and they do not excuse harm. They do, however, keep the heart aligned with Christ.
These practices carry no guarantee that the other person will change. That outcome does not belong to us. What they do is anchor the believer to Jesus. Sometimes the deepest work God does in a marriage begins not with a solution, but with a different spirit entering the boat.
The flood wiped away corruption, but God preserved a family. He still does. The call is not to fear, nor to withdraw from relationship, but to discern what we yoke our hearts to and to keep walking with Jesus even when another pulls differently. His yoke is easy and His burden is light.
Sometimes the storm is not calmed when the waves stop, but when one person in the boat chooses the way of Jesus. That choice may not fix everything, but it keeps the ark within reach and the heart aligned with Christ.
“Come to Me, all you who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28–30, NKJV)
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