People, by nature, admire strength. As a young boy, cartoons appeared in magazines and newspapers advertising pills, bodybuilding products and nutrition drinks–all in an attempt to inspire young men to bulk up and be strong, be a man. Now much older, I have seen many men fall prey to sin and their own weaknesses. But these weaknesses were not a result of lack of muscle in the form of flesh and blood; rather it was invariably the result of lack of spiritual muscle. My experiences in seeing the lives of many men fall in the depths of despair is not unlike the story of Samson (See Judges chapters 13-16) In Judges 16:1. Samson was so strong he did not fear an entire Philistine army of 10,000 men. But he saw one woman and fell into sin. The strongest and bravest Philistine soldiers could not defeat him, but one attractive Philistine woman could and did! The life of Samson teaches us that lust and passion can control and ruin any man. I saw hundreds and thousands of lives like this in Vancouver’s Inner City between 1997 and 2006. During that time, I was a missionary teacher helping men get educated, offering a path to a better life. Later I taught in a Christian boys school where highschool boys would gather in the fitness gym daily to gain muscle mass. What did I learn from these 2 teaching experiences? Whether it was lust, drugs or alcohol, men’s greatest challenge is fortifying their inner muscles. Just look at Samson, a man with physical strength, but inner weakness. It ruined him.
The Real Weaklings
