Samson is a biblical character who is both heroic and tragic. He was set apart for God's service from birth and given special abilities to help God's people and fight God's enemies. The tales of his exploits would make the greatest mythical superheroes jealous. In real life, the Philistines cringed at the mention of his name.
Had he developed character and self-control, he might be remembered with some of the great ones of the Bible - Moses, David, Elijah and others. But, alas, no. Samson won many great battles but he lost the one that mattered the most, the battle against the power of this own flesh.
Superman had his kryptonite. Samson had women. Because he could not control his passions, his enemies were able to use women of questionable moral character to destroy him.
The moral to the story of Samson is pretty simple. What matters most is the character we build, not just the tasks we undertake. It is of utmost importance that we yield to the Spirit of God as he remakes us in the image of Christ. Too often we focus on doing great works for God instead of focusing on becoming people like Christ.
Oh, every blood-bought believer should aspire to significant service to God, but that can never come at the expense of significant transformation. Who we are in Christ is foundational to what we can do for Christ.
Father, I've always wanted to serve you in significant ways, but sometimes I forget about who I am in you. Transform me by your Spirit to become like your Son.
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