Thoughts on Samson

I co-teach a bible study group with a friend of mine.  We are going through the top 40 chapters in the Bible that highlight the over-arching story of God's love and redemption of man.  We, along with our church, are using a book called The Good Book as an outline for this study.  This week I am in charge of studying and teaching the story of Samson...specifically Judges 16.

The title in the book for this section is "God Can Even Use Your Failures."  Just this statement really struck a chord with me.  As a man who fails often, it is easy to think, "I am too broken to really be used for God."

After spending the week studying Samson, I can really see a lot of Samson in my life.  I don't mean all the cool "superhero" stuff you learn in Sunday School as kids.  I mean the weak and broken man that screwed up all the time when he should have known better.

It is a no-brainer that Samson is every little Baptist boy's favorite Old-Testament person.  He was clever.  He tied torches to foxes and set them loose in a field (cool).  He was STRONG.  He killed 1,000 Philistines with a jawbone (super cool).

These cool action hero things are not what I see in myself.  If anything I am more of a stand back and "figure it out first" kind of guy.  What I do see in myself is Samson's pride and selfishness.

Samson was set apart by God...and Samson KNEW IT!  He knew it to the point that he thought nothing bad could hurt him.  God warned him and all of the Israelites of things they shouldn't do or people they shouldn't hang around.  Clearly, God had given Samson some very special gifts and Samson thought he could do as he pleased and not get himself in too deep.

A sad realization for me was that all of those great feats that Samson did (with God's power of course) were all due to the fact that his sin and pride had gotten him into a tight spot.  He literally had to fight his way out.  He shouldn't have been in those situations in the first place.  This is something that I wasn't taught in those Sunday School classes.

Now Samson's struggle was something that is difficult to teach small children (gulp).  Just to be clear, those aren't the struggles I have.   But Samson's pride, him thinking that he is smart enough or strong enough to get himself out of whatever situation he finds himself, is also my struggle.

If I know where my being prideful and selfish will lead me, why do I continually choose that?  There are 100's of examples in the Bible (which I believe is 100% truth), and 100's of examples from my own life, where I know what will happen if I make that choice...yet I keep doing it.

Admitting my weaknesses and relying on God is something that is SO VERY HARD for me to do. Although I would never admit it #pride, I admire people that can be vulnerable to others and God.  It is so hard for me to get there...but it is so freeing to just give those cares to God.     For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. Matthew 11:30.

But why is knowing this and practicing it so different?  

The story isn't all a downer though.  If you remember from my second paragraph, "God Can Even Use Your Failures,"  the story doesn't end there.  The big theme in the Bible is God's redemption of all of us that keep letting Him down.  God says that He will never leave or forsake us.  That is a promise that is very true.  Even when we screw up, God can use that to benefit his kingdom.  After all, Samson is mentioned in the Hall of Faith in Hebrews 11.

Where we sell God and ourselves short is, what could Samson have done for God if he wasn't spending all his time "flirting with disaster" and having to fight his Wayna out of those situations? The story of Samson ends with him getting a small amount retribution with the Philistines for gouging his eyes out, and a sense that he had made his peace with God.

But I feel the real lesson is that the people of Isreal were in no better shape than when we started the story of Samson.  What COULD have Samson done if different choices were made?  That is a question that I have recently (like today) have started asking myself with the decisions that I make.  

One of my greatest lessons that I have learned in my life was one that I learned in Sunday School as a kid at Zalma Church.  My teacher was Carolyn Price and she would say, "in the morning, before your feet hit the floor, ask yourself, 'who's flag will I fly today?'"  This is something that keeps coming back to me even in my adult life.  What a simple habit to get yourself into a right and Godly mindset to take on the day!

My challenge to you is to think about the choices you make.  Do they further the Kingdom of God or shortchange it?

Sorry, this was very long!  I hope this didn't sound like a big rambling mess.   Thank you and God Bless you and yours!