Judges 13:14a The Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon him.
Self-reliance, self-sufficiency and selfishness limit the power of God. “The world teaches us to be self-sufficient, self-reliant and self-motivating. But anytime we put ‘self’ before ‘Saviour’, we are in trouble” – Toni Sorenson. Leaning on the muscle of the flesh rather than the might of God will let us down. Talents, gifts and niche skills are given to us to serve others. Our expertise and ingenious is to bless others and not to accentuate or promote ourselves. Self-confidence built on the foundation of God-confidence will be sturdy and strong. Over-confidence in our self, strength and skills will limit God.
Samson was born brawny and burly with a Godly purpose. His name means “saviour” and his strength was endowed on him to save the Israelites from the hands of the Philistines. Samson had such incredible strength that he could wield a donkey’s jawbone like an iron-log to kill 1,000 men. He could pluck the iron gates which were about 840 tons and carry it on his shoulder for about 37 miles (60 km) uphill from Gaza to Hebron (Judges 16:3). Samson led Israel for twenty years and protected them from the oppressing enemy, however, in the latter part of his life, selfish carnal desires outwit his service to his nation and to God. He traded his purity with a prostitute and polluted his purpose. His spiritual eyes were blinded by promiscuity, debauchery and immorality that he went back to the same brothel and the same prostitute until she tricked him with her crafty lucidity. Samson’s carelessness about his calling and over-confidence in his stratagem limited God’s power.
Destroy the limitations:
- Self-Promotion: Jesus taught us to serve with our lips zipped. He specifically said, don’t do as the hypocrites do—blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! (Matthew 6:2). He instructed us not to flaunt over our own achievements or gloat over our accomplishments. Let someone else praise you, and not your own mouth; an outsider, and not your own lips (Proverbs 27:1). Using God given talents to promote oneself limits God’s potent.
- Self-Gratification: Using God-given gifts to attain selfish gains will insidiously pilferage God’s purpose. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures (James 4:3). Samson’s profanity pushed him to blurt the secret of his strength to the prodding and nagging prostitute Delilah. He awoke from his sleep and thought, “I’ll go out as before and shake myself free.” But he did not know that the Lord had left him (Judges 16:20). Gratifying selfish desires, motives and pleasures with God given promotion, position or purpose will limit God’s power.
- Self-Confidence: Overconfidence on oneself, based on past experience or expertise, will limit God. The Giver of our anointing, calling and gifting should be the ‘epicenter’ of our confidence. Self-confidence must be replaced by God-confidence to reach our God-given goal and vision. The epitome of Samson’s life is a quintessential evidence of the God-given gift sabotaged by self-centered ambitions. Self-confidence incapacitates God-confidence.
Raise your bars of limitation – break egoistic self-reliance, self-sufficiency and self-confidence that limits God.
Psalm 118:8 It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man.
Prayer: Pappa God, everything I have and all that I am are gifts from You to fulfil your purpose. May I never use the gifts and talents that You have blessed me with, for my self-gratification. Amen.
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