I love my wife. God used her to help me further understand a truth a brother shared with me this weekend. As many of you know the past couple of weeks have been exhausting. Draining. Why? I hate conflict and currently find myself entrenched in it.
On Sunday a brother encouraged me with the story of Samson – a mighty warrior of God. God gave Samson a warrior’s strength that could not be overcome. This strength was rooted in his identity from God as a Nazirite, and Samson was unstoppable until he forsook his God given strength by allowing his hair to be cut off and his Nazirite identity that went with it.
Why would Samson do such a thing? He gave in. To what? A nagging woman. I’m serious! Judges 16:16-17 says “With such nagging she (Delilah) prodded him day after day (to reveal the secret of his strength) until he was tired to death. So he told her everything” (my comments in parentheses).
The problem for Samson came in the form of a nagging woman. But ultimately she wasn’t the real problem…opposition was. And Samson gave in to it. Why? Because he desired for the opposition to stop more than he desired to fulfill his God-given identity and purpose. In that moment Samson desired to please Delilah (and stop the nagging) more than he desired to please God.
You can see where this is going – if I allow opposition in the form of unbelieving neighbors, or my desire for it to go away to cause me to cave – then I’ve forsaken my God-given warrior strength, identity and purpose for my life.
So, if you find yourself encountering opposition today then “…stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” 1 Corinthians 15:58 (emphasis added)
