Samson vowed, "I will take my revenge on you, and I won't stop until I'm satisfied!" Judges 15:7

            He was an Old Testament superman.  Samson had it all going for him.  He had good and godly parents who were thrilled when he came into their lives and they devoted him to the Lord from birth.  God even revealed to them that He had a very special purpose for Samson's life (Judges 13:5).  His hand of blessing was upon Samson as he grew up (Judges 13:24) and God endued him with supernatural strength to enable him in his divine assignment to deliver his people from the abuse and harassment of the Philistines.  Samson was on a road that seemed paved with certain success.

            But there was a serious problem that lurked below the veneer of physical strength.  Samson could kill lions with his bare hands and capture foxes at will, but he could not control his desires and emotions.  He was bent on the pursuit of physical pleasure and ignored the will and ways of God (14:1-4; 16:1).  He was self-absorbed and blamed others for his personal problems and counter-productive actions (15:3).  Unrestrained anger often overflowed into fits of violent retaliation (14:19; 15:4-5, 14-15).  Samson left a host of human corpses and broken lives in his vengeful wake.

            Eventually his selfish, unrestrained lifestyle caught up with him.  It always does.  Samson established a romantic relationship with a woman from among his Philistine enemies, confident that he could play with fire and not get burned.  He was wrong. 

            Bribed by the Philistines, the woman sought to find out the secret to Samson's great strength.  Seduced by her persistent pleas and romantic charade, he foolishly disclosed the key to his unique power.  Sold out by his sinister lover, Samson is captured, brutalized, and used for slave labor by the enemies he had once so effectively defeated.  (Read the unfolding drama in Judges Chapter 16 in the Bible.) 

            How did a life with such promise end up like this?  Multitudes of people have asked the same question of themselves and others.  Maybe you have as well.  The answer is clearly and succinctly summarized in a revealing scripture from the book of Proverbs:

A person without self-control is as defenseless as a city with broken-down walls. Proverbs 25:28

            Physical force and muscular might are no strength at all when it comes to living effective and fulfilled.  Lack of self-control is the kryptonite that brings every human "superman" like Samson to their knees.  You see, true strength can only be found in a personal relationship with and commitment to God that reigns in our innate selfishness.  Without Him and His enablement, we are easy prey to the spiritual enemies that desire to do us in.  We are weak and defenseless.

            As I write today, Tiger Woods has just made his first public statement regarding the sordid story surrounding his extra-marital affairs.  The man who seemed so poised and powerful on a golf course; the man who was carving a larger-than-life legacy in the world of golf and beyond had to stand before the watching world and admit failure-failure that had shattered his Shangri-la world.  His pseudo-strength betrayed him and he is paying a painful price.

            There are no super men or women in this world.  For those who think their physical strength, emotional will power, and mental aptitude will rule the day, there is a kryptonite experience coming.  Only those who rely upon the inner self-control that God can give will find the power to live full, effective lives.

            Samson's hair loss is your gain if it drives you to this source of true strength.