-- Tuesday, 8/24/10 --LUST OR LOVE -- Judges 16
J.R. & Bonnie Ricks
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LUST OR LOVE -- Judges 16 NIV (whole chapter)
One day Samson went to Gaza, where he saw a prostitute. He went in to spend the night with her. The people of Gaza were told, "Samson is here!" So they surrounded the place and lay in wait for him all night at the city gate. They made no move during the night, saying, "At dawn we'll kill him."
But Samson lay there only until the middle of the night. Then he got up and took hold of the doors of the city gate, together with the two posts, and tore them loose, bar and all. He lifted them to his shoulders and carried them to the top of the hill that faces Hebron.
Some time later, he fell in love with a woman in the Valley of Sorek whose name was Delilah. The rulers of the Philistines went to her and said, "See if you can lure him into showing you the secret of his great strength and how we can overpower him so we may tie him up and subdue him. Each one of us will give you eleven hundred shekels of silver." Judges 16:1-5 NIV
Samson had a problem with women. Rather, Samson had a problem with distinguishing between lust and love for women. He kept ending up in women's beds and getting into trouble because of it. This problem with women ended up being Samson's downfall. Because along came Delilah, who took everything away from Samson, even his very special gift from God. Samson was so wrapped up in his lust for Delilah that he couldn't see her for who she really was. He couldn't see past her beautiful face and fabulous body to the rotten person she was inside. The only thing Samson was listening to was his hormones.
A lot of single people have fallen victim to the Samson Syndrome at some time or other in their lives… allowing physical attraction to someone to override their good sense… confusing lust with love. But there are ways to guard against this confusion. There are ways to override your hormones in favor of finding someone… that special someone God wants you to have.
First, you need to decide what kind of person you want to love before your hormones have a chance to kick in. The easiest way to do this is to make a list. But, before you start your list – pray. Ask God to guide your thinking as you make the list so that what HE knows you need will override what you think you need.
Second, sit down with a piece of paper and a pen or pencil – or open a word processing page in your computer - and start writing down qualities you believe to be important – or even essential - qualities you like, qualities you hate, and qualities you can't accept, etc. Make the list as long and detailed as you like. When you get done, take a look at your list. Are spiritual and character qualities at the top of your list, while physical and social qualities are at the bottom? If so, you're on the road to finding the kind of mate God wants you to have. Why? Because you don't spend twenty-four hours a day in bed. The majority of the time you will spend with a spouse will be outside the bedroom, so that person's spiritual maturity, temperament, personality and character qualities must be as satisfying, if not more so, than his or her physical capabilities in the bedroom.
Third, you need to pray again. Show your list to God and tell Him this is what you're looking for. Commit the list to His keeping and know that He is preparing just such a person for you somewhere and that in His time, you will meet the person you need.
And fourth, be patient. Just because you asked and just because you know God answers your every prayer doesn't mean that person is about to knock on your front door today. It may take a while. It may take years. Or it may be that God has been preparing that person all along and has just been waiting for you to be ready. If you meet someone who is attractive, but you discover that the person does not fit your list, you’ll know he or she is not “the one”. But, when you do meet that person, you will recognize him or her because your list will be a description that is easy to identify, and you won't have to compromise.
"Have faith in God. I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea, and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours." Mark 11:22-24 NIV
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