Confidence Is an Inside Job预览

Coming to Your Own Rescue

God had big plans for Samson from the time he was born. An angel said to Samson’s mom, “You will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and his hair must never be cut, for he will be dedicated to God as a Nazirite from birth” (Judges 13:5).

Samson grew up and became incredibly strong. With him around, the Philistines could never quite conquer the Israelites.

So then the Philistines offered money to a beautiful woman—Delilah—to entice Samson to tell her the source of his strength. She nagged and she wheedled.

Finally, Samson gave in to Delilah’s wishes rather than staying true to who he was supposed to be. For the sake of this woman, he disengaged from his commitment.

We all disengage from time to time. We look for a release from what we’re going through. Maybe it’s with food. Or sex. Or alcohol. Or drugs.

If you’re stuck in a pattern of disengaging, it may be because you’re waiting for someone else to rescue you.

Well, I hate to break it to you, but nobody is coming to save you. No one else can save you. But one of the most powerful tools God gives you is the decision to show up for yourself. It’s not too late.

One day the Philistines brought Samson out in his chains and put him between two pillars of a pagan temple to humiliate him. But in prison, Samson had realized how far he had strayed from the path God had for him, and now he chose to take action. “O God, please strengthen me just one more time,” he prayed (Judges 16:28).

In one last feat of strength, Samson showed the mighty things that can happen when we step away from people-pleasing, when we stay faithful to our mission and come back to the center, to the path God has for us.

Think about a time when you felt like you needed to do something to please somebody else. What would you do differently, if you could relive that time?