by: Dr. Allen Domelle
Judges 15:3
“And Samson said concerning them, Now shall I be more blameless than the Philistines, though I do them a displeasure.”
An astonishing statement is made by Samson in the verse above that shows why his life ended up the way it did. He said, “Now shall I be more blameless than the Philistines…” Hold on! Wasn’t he supposed to deliver Israel from the Philistines? If he was, why was he so worried about being “more blameless” than they?
The reason Samson was so concerned about what the Philistines thought was because he lost his direction. He forgot that God’s purpose for his life was to deliver Israel from the Philistines. Before he was born, God set him aside to be a Nazarite and a deliverer for Israel. What was it that caused him to lose his direction in life?
First, he lost his direction because he chose the wrong direction. Judges 14:1 says, “And Samson went down…” He had no business going to the Philistines, but when he made the choice to walk through their land it caused him to lose his directional purpose in life. Many Christians have lost their direction because they chose a wrong direction. When you choose to read people or follow people who are not doctrinally correct, you will eventually lose the directional purpose for which God made you. You can never stay directionally right when you choose to be directionally wrong.
Second, he lost his direction because he chose the wrong friends. Samson made friends with the enemy instead of being friends with God’s people. The wrong friends will cause you to lose your direction in life every time. You are only as strong as your weakest friend. If you want to stay directionally right, you better be sure your friends are the type of friends who have your same purpose and direction in life. When your friends choose friends who are directionally wrong, you are going to have to distance yourself from them so that they don’t pull you away from what God wants you to do.
Third, he lost his direction because he desired the wrong approval. It is interesting that he was concerned with what the Philistines thought about him. Why was he concerned with what they thought about him when he was to deliver Israel from them? You will always lose your direction in life when you are concerned with man’s approval and not God’s. If you are going to continue doing what the LORD wants you to do, you are going to have to stop worrying about what mankind thinks of you. Your purpose in living is to please Almighty God. Don’t every lose focus of that purpose and you will never lose the approval of God.
Fourth, he lost his direction because he had the wrong goals. His goals became selfish goals. His goals became goals that pleased himself and not God. When your goals in life are what you want and not what God wants, you will lose the direction for which you were placed on earth to do.
It is very easy to lose your direction in life. Many people have stopped being productive for God because they’ve lost their direction. Let me encourage you to stay focused on what God has called you to do. Don’t let anything or anyone pull you away from God’s purpose for your life. It won’t be easy to stay directionally right, but if you do, you will find the fulfillment in life that comes from truly fulfilling God’s purpose for your life.