Samson and Delilah. Oh boy. Where do I even begin? I have never been particularly drawn to this story in the Bible because it never felt applicable to my life. However, Judges 16 came up in my Bible reading plan and it hit home harder than I ever imagined. These are just a few thoughts I pulled from it. . .
Was Samson an absolute idiot?! What was it about Delilah that enamored him to the point of not even seeing what was going on around him? Delilah asked Samson 3 different times what made him weak, and each time she used the information he gave her to try to have him captured. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out she's using him. But he finally gets tired of standing up to her and tells her the entire truth - because of course she wouldn't use it against him for the fourth time. We all know how that turned out for him.
So Samson's real weakness was his lust for Delilah. This is what I got the most out of - and no I'm not saying I'm struggling with lust (though I think we all do from time to time). My problem is that I am a people pleaser and I always want to make everyone around me happy. So sometimes - okay, most of the time - I tune out the warning signs going on around me, put how other people feel before my own feelings, do what makes them happy, and then get burned in the process. This is exactly what happened with Samson. He had 3 huge warning signs that something was wrong, but he tuned them out to make someone else happy.
I feel like this is a huge problem for all people, but sometimes it hits girls a little bit harder. For the past several months, God has been showing me (and I have been telling myself over and over) that it is ok and a very good thing for me to protect myself emotionally. The Bible tells us to protect our hearts for a reason - because God cares for them, what happens to you, and the condition of your heart is directly proportional with your spiritual walk and the fruit being produced in your life. It's ok to be careful with your heart and who you trust with it and your emotions - that's what you should do! Don't put your feelings on the back burner because you want to please the people around you - whether it be a significant other, a group of friends, or even family members. If there are warning signs, don't be like Samson and ignore them. Because you can do as much as you want for the people around you, but reality is that those people are human, and eventually you will get let down and have your heart broken, even though it may not be on purpose.
So guard your heart. Listen to what God is trying to tell you. Listen to the warning signs. But listen closely: Don't shut your heart or your feelings completely off from the world, that's not what we are called to do. We are called to love and that means we have to use our hearts, but I don't think we should recklessly throw our hearts to let everyone/everything break them. Your heart and your feelings are precious to God and I don't think He wants you to throw them around as worthless.
"Above all else, guard your heart,
For it is the wellspring of life." Proverbs 4:23
This post may not mean much to anyone else, but anyone who knows me will probably tell you that this post is speaking directly to/about me. Please, please, please, be careful with your heart and your emotions. Don't let this world or anything in it rob you of the joy that God intends for you to be blessed with.
You are worth it. Your heart is worth being careful with. You are valuable. And you are something to be cherished. So act like it.
P.S. If you are the Delilah in this story, check your motivation behind your actions. We are children of the High King and he looks out for his children. And I'm praying for you.
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