1 of 1

Q. Just what is the Samson trap?

A. It has to do with how desperately we men seek to hide from the raw nerve of fear. It's not something we readily talk about—it seems unmanly. Women can be afraid and start a self-help group. We're stuck with bluffing our way through, covering our fears with bravado. Every man who's walked this earth has struggled with fears of being seen as inadequate at some level—for good reason.

We're spiritually broken; we don't work according to the Manufacturer's specifications. People were designed to function with God's presence as the glue for keeping their souls intact. Subsequent to the Fall, the human soul attempted to make do without God, filling the vacuum inside through pretense and bluster. Wayward lifestyles help the average male deny his pain, loneliness, anger and any hunger of the soul that might surface.

The Samson trap can be boiled down to the lies our sinful natures settle for. We end up believing that management through self-will is the best way to go. But the Holy Spirit points us to the godly management of our souls' appetites.

Why is the trap named after Samson?

Samson was sure he knew what would make him happy—and charged ahead, taking one wrong turn after another. He banked on "image" to get him by and refused to confront his fear.

But Samson's story offers the ray of hope we all need. Mostly by accident, Samson shows us the way around escapism and fear to a living faith in Jehovah God. Such faith represents the Lord's plan of salvation for all of us, for it's by His grace that we're saved through faith, not of ourselves (Ephesians 2:8-9). Thank God!

Samson's story exemplifies what the Lord wants to do for all of us men in hiding. Jesus wants to step in and take over our misdirected lives. He's ready to remove sin's blemish and transform our lives, making them free of fear and full of promise.

—Mark Johnson is a psychologist at the Orange County, California, Central Jail.

Credits: Adapted from—How to Succeed Where Strong Men Fail (Shaw, 1997)

Copyright © 2000 by the author or Christianity Today International/Men of Integrity. For reprint information click here.

To sign up for a risk-free trial issue of Men of Integrity click here.

To order multiple copies of Men of Integrity for your men's group, click here.

 1 of 1

Prayer for the Week

Deliver me, Lord, from fears that prevent me from being real with others and with You.

				Try an Issue of Men of Integrity Free! Name Street Address City/State/Zip E-mail Address No credit card required. Please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery. Offer valid in U.S. only. Click here for International orders. If you decide you want to keep Men of Integrity coming, honor your invoice for just $19.95 and receive five more issues, a full year in all. If not, simply write "cancel" across the invoice and return it. The trial issue is yours to keep, regardless. Give Men of Integrity as a gift Buy 1 gift subscription, get 1 FREE!

FREE Newsletter Sign up for the Men of Integrity Newsletter    RSS Feed   RSS Help