by RTF Assistant Editor Halee Matthews

Sam wasn’t a bad guy, really. In fact, he was a really great guy for a while.

Sam was chosen by God for a special purpose. An angel even appeared to his parents before his birth, telling them about the child they would be raising. And throughout Sam’s life, God was with him. He directed Sam’s actions and blessed him with an amazing gift.

Until one day.

One day, God left Sam. Why? Because Sam gave away his gift.

Sam wasn’t a bad guy, really. He just fell in love with someone who only wanted to use him. And he let her.

Oh, he resisted her at first, trying to protect himself. But she started whining and complaining and nagging so much that he finally told her what she wanted to know: the secret to his strength.

No, Samson wasn’t a bad guy, really. In fact, he used to fight for God and God protected him, granting him extraordinary strength. With a gift like that, you’d think he would guard it with his life, right? But he didn’t. He let himself get drawn into a relationship with a woman who didn’t love him.

You would think he’d realize it wasn’t the best of relationships when Delilah kept asking him to reveal the source of his strength. Each time Samson gave her an answer, she tried it! And then she pouted when she realized he lied. Talk about a warning sign!

But Samson eventually gave in to Delilah. He willingly gave away an amazing gift because he was in love.

When I read his story (in Judges 13-16), it seems so obvious. I want to smack Samson and say, “Hello! Delilah’s no good for you!” I can see it so clearly. Why couldn’t he?

The funny thing is, sometimes we do the same thing. We get drawn into bad relationships, too. We get so sucked in that we end up making stupid decisions without even realizing it!

Samson wasn’t a bad guy, really. He was just human, prone to make mistakes and fall headfirst into a toxic situation named Delilah.

So what about you? Have you had a toxic relationship? How did you realize it was bad for you? I’d love to hear your thoughts!