When Sin Is Linked to Passion, Look Out!

It’s possible to develop a series of passions throughout a lifetime of searching for fulfillment and happiness. The word passion is capable of evoking reactions ranging from extremely negative to warm and positive. Passion often is linked to anger and rage, to sexual desire, to love and affection, or dedication and commitment.

Samson was enraged when he realized his new wife had betrayed him. He was unprepared to pay a wager he made because he was convinced that he could not lose. Strong passion has the capacity to distort reality and impair judgment. It can cloud one’s ability to correctly assess situations or make contingency plans.

In anger Samson set a course of terrible consequences for his life. Passion can be described as a compelling force capable of defining your destiny. Proverbs 5:22 warns that sin coupled to passion sets a deadly trap. Yet passion for righteousness and forgiveness frees us from the shackles of sin and gives us hope. 

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For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age.

~Titus 2:11-12 New International Version

It's God's Goodness and Mercy, Not Ours

It's not unusual for God's people to develop an attitude of superiority even as they realize that all they can be and do is attributed to God's generosity and kindness. Today we say people have an “attitude” when they act haughty, arrogant, or superior. Paralleling this attitude is a diminished maturity that may be hidden and hard to detect because it is camouflaged by this attitude of superiority.

In the book of Judges, Samson demonstrated immaturity in judgment by naively trusting his new wife with the answer to his riddle. Immaturity, greed and fear turned a wedding festival into betrayal and chaos. Samson's riddle appeared innocent, but his ulterior motives produced humiliation and anger.

Fearing for the lives of herself and her parents, Samson's bride gave the answer to the riddle to the young men attending their wedding. For Samson, her betrayal ended the marriage. So how should God respond when we permit passion and impulses to detract us from his plan and calling? Have you suffered great consequences while still believing God will forgive you?  

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For we ourselves were once...slaves to passions and pleasures of all kinds. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior was revealed, he saved us. It was not because of any good deeds that we ourselves had done, but because of his own mercy that he saved us, through the Holy Spirit, who gives us new birth and new life by washing us.

~Titus 3:3-4 Good News Bible

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
~Psalm 23:6 King James Bible

When Selfish Immaturity Ignores God

Samson was called to be a judge of the Hebrew people, and God equipped him with adequate qualifications for the job. God also gave Samson a free will, including the right to honor that responsibility. The attitudes we develop as children and adults reflect our maturity and the way our free will affects our choices.

Samson was chosen by God to break the Philistine’s yoke over the Hebrews. However, his ambitions and passions affected his reliability and restricted God’s plan for him. Satan used the glitches in his personality as a means of negating God's purpose for him and the nation.

Samson created a riddle to manipulate the young men at his wedding party. That selfish act set in motion life-changing events that became the source of pain for Samson and several other families. God created us with the capacity to mature, to love and serve others. The Holy Spirit within us continuously reminds us of that purpose and he will help us achieve it. 

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For [Christ Jesus] gave himself for us that he might set us free from all our evil ways and make us clean and pure, with our hearts set upon living a life that is good.

~Titus 2:14 Phillips – The New Testament in Modern English

Samson's Hidden Riddle: Who's the Smartest?

The book of Judges portrays Samson as intelligent and bright but possessed with a proclivity for mischievousness. On one occasion he hatched up a riddle for the young men at his wedding party to solve. His motive was to win a wager and prove his intellectual superiority. Ulterior motives disguised the truth behind attitudes and objectives. 

Samson knew his riddle was impossible to solve because he alone knew all its components. The young men who took the challenge offered his bride this alternative: "Get the answer to Samson's riddle or we'll burn down your father's house with you in it. Were we invited to this party to be humiliated and lose all our possessions?"  

Samson's values clashed with God’s calling and purpose for his life. When impure motives are used as an incentive to engage in behavior that is unsuitable for believers in Jesus Christ, we subject ourselves to natural consequences that serve up sorrow and regret. This, then, becomes a wake-up call to return to a lifestyle that honors and glorifies the Lord God. 

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Don’t cherish exaggerated ideas of yourself or your importance, but try to have a sane estimate of your capabilities by the light of the faith that God has given you.

~Romans 12:3 Phillips – The New Testament in Modern English

God Will Deliver ~ Wait for Him

When impatience becomes a dominant force in a person’s life, sound judgment usually suffers. Little time is given to thoroughly evaluate a situation, so wise decisions cannot be made. Impatience produces unfortunate consequences. Samson acted impulsively without considering the negative fallout for his choices and behavior.

 

Samson underestimated the intelligence and the potential for violence of those he believed he could manipulate. A mischievous prank  turned into disaster for him, for his future wife and her parents. He never stopped to seek the wisdom and approval of God, who would have furnished wise counsel to replace his impatience.

After Moses delivered the Hebrew people from Egypt, they complained bitterly when their journey became difficult. Their impatience provoked God's displeasure and, like Samson, they suffered for failing to have faith in God’s provision to meet their needs. Remember to pray for patience and tolerance when faced with difficult situations, for God desires to meet your needs.  

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But I will watch for the Lord; I will wait confidently for God, who will save me. My God will hear me.

~Micah 7:7 Good News Bible