We’ve all heard the story of Samson. He had a huge amount of potential. He was born into a godly home, was dedicated and consecrated to God from the day of his birth. He was called to ministry even before he was born. God gave him all the tools to succeed, and he could and should have done so much. But in the end, his was a life of mediocrity. Even though he missed being all he could be, we read in Hebrews 11 that he is one of the few men inducted into God’s “Hall of Faith”. Even though we might look at his life and think of it as mediocre, God saw something in him that put him into a very select group.

Samson was a man who ignored the counsel of his godly parents, became tangled up with Philistine women, was arrogant, proud, and messed up in many ways. Seeing that God could put him into a select group of people should be comforting to most of us. It sure is to me. I know that I am a man of mediocrity. I have been blessed. I have a great deal of potential. And God has called me to great things. And it’s the same with you. But, we have messed up. Every one of us has missed the mark more than once. Just as Samson heard the Philistine taunts, we hear things like, “You’re a Christian? You’re a godly man? You’re a leader? How can that be? Look how you’ve messed up!”

But Jesus died for us. His death on the cross silenced our enemies. In other words, he paid the price for both our mediocrity and our sin. I’m forgiven and so are you. Romans 8:1 says “There is therefore now no condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus.” It’s great to know that God doesn’t reject us just because we are less than we could be. Thank you Lord for loving me.

I might not be able to kill Philistines. I might not be able to be a conqueror. But, I can be like Samson! You see, his greatest moment came when he chose to die. The enemy was dealt a crushing defeat on that day! I may not be able to perform miraculous feats like calling fire from heaven or kill giants, but I can die. Jesus says in Matthew 16:24, “If any man come afer Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me.” The more I am willing to die to self, the more damage I will do to the kingdom of darkness. Just like Samson, I can choose to make a stand. And so can you. And if you do, you too will be eligible for God’s “Hall of Faith”.