Have you ever been winning a video game when someone told you to turn it off, and you got so mad you wanted to yell? Feelings can be hard to control. Samson was the strongest man in the Bible, but he had a hard time with self-control. His story shows us that being strong on the outside isn’t enough. We need to be strong on the inside too.
The Strongest Man Who Wasn’t Strong Enough
Before Samson was born, God chose him to help rescue Israel from their enemies, the Philistines. God gave him amazing strength. Samson once fought a lion with his bare hands! But Samson often did whatever he felt like doing. He lost his temper, ignored God’s rules, and trusted the wrong people. In the end, his enemies captured him. Samson’s muscles were strong, but his self-control was weak.
Proverbs 25:28 Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks self-control.
A city without walls has no protection. That’s what happens when we let our feelings boss us around.
Self-Control Takes Training
Athletes practice every day to get better at their sport. Self-control works the same way. You get better at it with practice and with God’s help.
1 Timothy 4:8 For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.
Exercise is good for your body. But training to be more like Jesus is even better, because it helps you every day and forever. And you don’t have to do it alone. Self-control is part of the fruit the Holy Spirit grows in us (Galatians 5:22-23).
The Takeaway
Real strength is self-control, and it grows with practice and God’s help. This week, try “Stop, Pray, Choose.” When you feel your temper rising, stop for five seconds, ask Jesus to help you calm down, and then choose a response that honors him.
