What If

"Then his brothers and all his father’s household came down, took him, brought him up and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the tomb of Manoah his father. Thus he had judged Israel twenty years." -Judges 16.31

The life of Samson was short and tragic. If you think about it, this is the story of untapped potential. Samson did great things, but most of them were the result of a desire for personal vengeance. Samson had been given great strength, and yet most of the time we find him living for his own desires. He could have destroyed the Philistines, and while he kills thousands of them in life and with his death, they survive and rise to oppress Israel again.

Samson seems to be a one man show. He kills Philistines when they kill his wife or when they capture him, but other than that he doesn't seem to be too focused on defeating them. He doesn't unite the tribes of Israel and lead them in battle against their enemy. Instead he does his own thing, and his own people even hand him over to the Philistines.

What if Samson had been focused and fully committed to God? What if Samson had not been side tracked by his desires? What if Samson had guarded his heart? What if Samson had been like other judges of Israel?

Men, will "what if" be a question you ask yourself at the end of your life? Will "what if" be a question asked at your funeral? Some of you have been blessed with so much, and yet you'll fail to live up to the potential you have. Many will fail because they never even try.

Teddy Roosevelt once said, "It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat."

Let us be men who are actually in the arena. Let us be men who dare greatly. Let us be men who strive to reach our fullest potential. Let us never wonder "what if".

"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."

To God alone be the Glory!

Strength and Honor