DAILY BYTESo what we can learn from this Samson story? What can we learn from the gradual breaking of his vows that eventually resulted in the disintegration of his life? Well, I think we learn that every choice we make really does count. Not just the big, major life choices that we agonise over, but also the small, mundane ones that we often make without even realising. The small ones we make everyday.
They all really count!
Not because God is watching and waiting, ready to pounce on us as soon as we step out of line, but rather because every choice we make ultimately effects WHO we are becoming. For example, if we choose greed in a certain situation, it may not have a huge effect on our character straight away, but it might weaken us so that we too easily choose greed again the next time round.
And if we keep choosing that way, well, we eventually we become what we choose.
C.S. Lewis, in rather raw language in order to make his point, says that everyday through the choices we make we are either becoming a little more of a heavenly creature or a hellish creature. Remember that Samson made his poor choices over a twenty year period before his eventual fall!
Like Samson, we sometimes tend to make our choices based on instant gratification, based on what we lust after or envy in others, based on issues that arise because we have given giftedness undue importance.
In keeping with the generally graphic violence of this story, Samson’s eyes were gouged out when he told Delilah his secret and broke his final vow. Ironically, that which kept causing him to stumble (the power of sight, remember the story repetition: he ‘saw’ and wanted), was eventually lost to him altogether.
Centuries later, there was another miraculous birth of a young leader of Israel named Jesus who stands in stark contrast to Samson. When prophesying about this leader, Isaiah said that he had ‘no beauty or majesty to attract us, nothing in appearance that we should desire him.’ There was not much to envy Jesus about, no obvious good looks or incredible strength. In fact, while on the cross, Jesus was mocked for his lack of strength, he was mocked for the apparent weakness of the cross. The cross is sheer foolishness to some Paul later mused.
Well, the paradox of Jesus is that while he may have been seen as weak and foolish to some, he is actually the strongest and wisest man to ever live. Jesus left us the incredible gift of his character! You know, Jesus once spoke about plucking out our eyes rather than sinning over what we ‘see’ (remember Samson’s fate), but he was not talking about self-mutilation. Instead he was saying that we should be absolutely radical about how we shape our inner worlds with our daily choices. Jesus is saying that our character is more important than any outer body part, so guard your soul at all costs.
For you see, strength is not just the glamour and glory of doing things wonderfully in the public eye. Rather strength is making difficult decisions when there is no one to see or applaud our efforts. Even more than that, strength is making small choices every day, again and again and again, that guards our hearts for Jesus.
And that really is the message of Samson: that what is within is more important that what is without, and that the choices we make everyday is what forms our characters and builds our souls.
And at the end of the day that is what being strong is all about. That’s strength.
PRAY AS YOU GO
Lord God, it can be very difficult sometimes to make those daily choices that keep us faithful to you and to who you created us to be. However, we know that it is when we recognise our utter dependence on you and acknowledge our own weakness; that your strength can be realised fully within us. And so we pray that you would give us strength to faithfully follow you at all times and in all places. Amen.
FOCUS READING
Philippians 4. 13 NIV
I can do everything through him who gives me strength.
