The Risk Of Relationships (Pt. 2)

Feb. 18, 2001 Judges 14

“The risk of relationships” - Part 2

INTRODUCTION

Last week, we began talking about the love-life of Samson, the strongest man in the world, to see if we could learn some principles that will help us in the establishment and growth of our own relationships. One of the things that we learned is that every relationship begins with an attraction. Adam was standing in the Garden of Eden with his Heavenly Father one day. He asked: God, why did you make Eve so beautiful? I mean, she’s got the softest skin, voluptuous figure, long silky hair, and radiant eyes. It’s so incredible!"

"Well, son," God said as He looked knowingly at Adam, "that’s so you would be attracted to her."

"Oh, I get it," Adam smiled. Then he rubbed his head, looked inquisitively at the Lord and asked, "But why did you make her so stupid?"

"Oh, that’s easy," God said. "That was so she would be attracted to you." - Tom Sirotnak and Ken Walker, Warriors (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1995) 69

Other things that we learned last week are that every new relationship is going to bring changes in existing relationships, every relationship is an opportunity for God to show His glory, and every relationship requires getting close. When we left Samson last week, he was on his way to Timnah once again, but this time, it was for his wedding to his Philistine fiance’. Samson had seen the girl, he had been on one date with her, and now he was ready to marry her. Talk about your whirl-wind romance! I imagine that as he went down to Timnath, there were all kinds of thoughts going through his head. Thoughts about how their relationship was going to be just as sweet as that honey that he held in his hand, how they were going to have the perfect marriage, how there were never going to be any problems, and how they were going to live happily ever after.

Four-year-old Suzie had just been told the story of “Snow White” for the first time in her life. She could hardly wait to get home from nursery school to tell her mommy. With wide-eyed excitement, she retold the fairy tale to her mother that afternoon. After relating how Prince Charming had arrived on his beautiful white horse and kissed Snow White back to life, Suzie asked loudly: “And do you know what happened then?” “Yes”, said her mom, “they lived happily ever after.” “No,” responded Suzie, with a frown, “…they got married.” – Cecil Osborne, The art of understanding your mate I think that most of us have learned by now that when it comes to earthly relationships, there is no “happily ever after”. There is hurt and there is pain, but there is also joy and sweetness.

This morning, I want us to see 4 additional relationship principles that we can learn from Samson’s love-life as it deepens into marriage. Above all else, if you hear nothing else this morning, hear this: every human relationship is going to fail you. No human relationship will ever satisfy you completely because no human is able to meet all your needs. The only relationship that will never fail you and has the capability of meeting all of your needs is a day-by-day, deep relationship with Jesus.

1. Every relationship will cost you. (vs.10,11)

"I’m LONELY," Adam told God in the Garden of Eden. "I need to have someone around for company."

"Okay," replied God. "I’m going to give you the perfect woman. Beautiful, intelligent and gracious -- she’ll cook and clean for you and never say a cross word."

"Sounds good," Adam said. "But what’s she going to cost?"

"An arm and a leg."

"That’s pretty steep," countered Adam. “What can I get for just a rib?" - Contributed by Martha G. Verlander, Reader’s Digest, February 1991 p. 82 From the very first human relationship, we learn that relationships are going to cost you.

Samson had to pay certain costs. He had to pay the cost for the wedding feast. Those costs would have been pretty high since the feast lasted for 7 days. But Samson was willing to pay because he was “in love”.

The beginning of a relationship will cost you. There’s the cost of dating, Valentine gifts, long distance phone calls. Then, once the relationship progresses a few steps down the road, and children come along, then the costs will just continue to go up. We paid the doctors and the hospital for two years to pay off the hospital bill that Victoria created when she was born. I watched one movie where two parents had just been handed the bill for their child’s birth. Talk about your sticker shock! The husband refused to pay and asked, “What are you going to do if I don’t have the money? Are you going to repossess the kid?” Then there’s diapers. I figured it up one time. When Ben and Victoria were both in diapers, we spent over $600 a year in diapers! Then there’s doctor’s visits, braces, college, and finally, the cost of the wedding dress. And just when you think that you’re in a position when you can start saving a little bit of your money, the grandkids come along. And what are grandkids for but for spooling?