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I Have This Under Control
Lust says, “I want it.”
Entitlement says, “I deserve it.”
And Pride says, “I can handle it.”
Remember how Samson told his parents he wanted to marry the Philistine woman? Well, what does every guy need before he can get married? That’s right—a bachelor party! And in Samson’s case, that meant a kegger. As you’ll see in today’s reading, Samson wanted to get together with his buddies to get hammered.
Before we read, here’s another thing I want to remind you of: Samson’s first rule:
1. Don’t drink alcohol.
Samson was not supposed to drink alcohol at all. But Samson figured that, because he was so strong, he could handle it. You’ve probably heard this before. A guy believes he’s really tough (and he may be), so he convinces himself that he won’t suffer the same consequences as other guys. Maybe you’ve even been that guy. And thinking you can handle it doesn’t just have to just be about substances:
Just one drink/puff/hit isn’t going to kill me. I can handle it.
Man, I really love this car/house/bass boat. I can make these payments.
I know I’m not ‘supposed to’ look at this website/image/video, but I’ve got my smart phone. And it’s just this one time.
Because Samson was the strongest man who had ever lived, he genuinely believed he could handle it all. But do you know how Samson ended up? If you’ve never heard his story before, I won’t spoil the ending for you. Let me just say this: he couldn’t handle it. So what makes you think you can?
We don’t have to follow the same path Samson did. Remember, your enemy wants to DESTROY you, to DEVOUR you. The key is to read his playbook ahead of time and prepare yourself. If you learn how he operates, you can avoid his traps. Three of his most effective weapons are lust, entitlement, and pride.
Don’t let your enemy use your pride and selfishness and shame to trick you into trading your God-given power for things that tempt your fleshly appetites. You were made for more than that. You can be a man of spiritual strength, integrity, and courage. You can be a man who serves his wife and his family. You can be a man who unselfishly gives to others. The bravest thing we can do is admit that we’re weak and vulnerable, and that we need God’s strength and his presence. When we come to him in humility, he redeems us and fills us with purpose and meaning.
About this Plan
Author and pastor Craig Groeschel helps men uncover who they really are—a powerful man with a warrior heart. This 11-day plan examines the life of Samson—a strong man with glaring weaknesses. Fight to become who God made you to be. Don’t just fight like a man. Fight like a man of God.
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The Desire for Control
