Then she said to him, “How can you say, ‘I love you,’ when you won’t confide in me? This is the third time you have made a fool of me and haven’t told me the secret of your great strength.” With such nagging she prodded him day after day until he was sick to death of it.

So he told her everything. “No razor has ever been used on my head,” he said, “because I have been a Nazirite dedicated to God from my mother’s womb. If my head were shaved, my strength would leave me, and I would become as weak as any other man.”

When Delilah saw that he had told her everything, she sent word to the rulers of the Philistines, “Come back once more; he has told me everything.” So the rulers of the Philistines returned with the silver in their hands. After putting him to sleep on her lap, she called for someone to shave off the seven braids of his hair, and so began to subdue him.  And his strength left him. – Judges 16:15-19

Samson had incredible strength and really good hair, but he lost sight of who they belonged to.  He also had a problem with women; he liked them a lot.  When he finally found Delilah, he had made plenty of enemies, not least of which was the Philistine nation.  Delilah was a Philistine.  She had tricked him several times and yet his need for her outweighed God’s gifts to him.

Samson was eventually humbled and regained his strength, striking a final blow against the Philistines and losing his life in the process.  This is the path of pride.  We warn our children about drugs, sex, texting while driving and a multitude of other things that are dangerous and deadly, but pride kills more effectively than all of them.  In fact, it is often pride that leads them toward those deadly things. 

The story of Samson is a warning that no matter how gifted and strong you may be, our faith and confidence must remain in God.  Our children need to have their pride challenged.  They need to learn the value of humility before God.  By all means, cut their hair, but don’t cut them any slack when pride rears its ugly head.  It is a killer.

Lord, help me to teach my children the value of humility.  Grant my children the opportunities to learn the strength of giftedness under submission to God.  Let them grow in character and spiritual maturity.  May they be tools of excellence in Your hands. Amen.

Then she said to him, “How can you say, ‘I love you,’ when you won’t confide in me? This is the third time you have made a fool of me and haven’t told me the secret of your great strength.” With such nagging she prodded him day after day until he was sick to death of it.

So he told her everything. “No razor has ever been used on my head,” he said, “because I have been a Nazirite dedicated to God from my mother’s womb. If my head were shaved, my strength would leave me, and I would become as weak as any other man.”

When Delilah saw that he had told her everything, she sent word to the rulers of the Philistines, “Come back once more; he has told me everything.” So the rulers of the Philistines returned with the silver in their hands. After putting him to sleep on her lap, she called for someone to shave off the seven braids of his hair, and so began to subdue him.  And his strength left him. – Judges 16:15-19

Samson had incredible strength and really good hair, but he lost sight of who they belonged to.  He also had a problem with women; he liked them a lot.  When he finally found Delilah, he had made plenty of enemies, not least of which was the Philistine nation.  Delilah was a Philistine.  She had tricked him several times and yet his need for her outweighed God’s gifts to him.

Samson was eventually humbled and regained his strength, striking a final blow against the Philistines and losing his life in the process.  This is the path of pride.  We warn our children about drugs, sex, texting while driving and a multitude of other things that are dangerous and deadly, but pride kills more effectively than all of them.  In fact, it is often pride that leads them toward those deadly things. 

The story of Samson is a warning that no matter how gifted and strong you may be, our faith and confidence must remain in God.  Our children need to have their pride challenged.  They need to learn the value of humility before God.  By all means, cut their hair, but don’t cut them any slack when pride rears its ugly head.  It is a killer.

Lord, help me to teach my children the value of humility.  Grant my children the opportunities to learn the strength of giftedness under submission to God.  Let them grow in character and spiritual maturity.  May they be tools of excellence in Your hands. Amen.