Glimpses into an unhealthy relationship
I like the band Pearl Jam. Maybe not the later stuff, but I love their earlier albums. When I was in high school, they were exploding onto the scene. Their music is raw and powerful and poignant.
It's a sad reality for some relationships in our society. People are abused and choose to stay out of loyalty, love or co-dependence. It becomes difficult to break the cycle.
This past Wednesday, we studied the relationship of Samson and Delilah found in Judges 16. If there was ever an example of an abusive, dysfunctional relationship, this was it. Samson wanted Delilah's love. Delilah wanted the Philistines' money. So, despite repeated attempts by Delilah to subdue Samson and claim her reward, Samson stuck with her until he eventually revealed his secret and doomed himself to being a blind slave doing the work of an animal.
It's a classic example of why we must never let anyone become more important to us than Jesus. When Delilah became more important to Samson than God, it cost him everything, including the presence of God in his life.
It's also a glimpse into what an unhealthy relationship looks like. There was no trust. Both Samson and Delilah lied to each other - over and over and over again. Selfish desires ruled over the relationship. Healthy relationships are built on mutual trust - in word and deed. Healthy relationship seek to give not to get.
As we make choices about relationships, especially in dating and finding a mate, it's important that we seek healthy relationships that edify each other and lift up the name of Christ. If not, we're wasting our time, and ending up in a relationship that could be destructive.
They have one song that I really like. It's called Betterman. It's a bit slower and it's about a woman in an abusive relationship. The point of the song (and the reason it's titled Betterman) is that she keeps saying she can't find a better man than him, so she keeps going back. She has Battered-wife syndrome. She's abused but dependent. In the song, the words beg her to run away, but in the end, we know she'll go back because she can't find a better man.
It's a sad reality for some relationships in our society. People are abused and choose to stay out of loyalty, love or co-dependence. It becomes difficult to break the cycle.
This past Wednesday, we studied the relationship of Samson and Delilah found in Judges 16. If there was ever an example of an abusive, dysfunctional relationship, this was it. Samson wanted Delilah's love. Delilah wanted the Philistines' money. So, despite repeated attempts by Delilah to subdue Samson and claim her reward, Samson stuck with her until he eventually revealed his secret and doomed himself to being a blind slave doing the work of an animal.
It's a classic example of why we must never let anyone become more important to us than Jesus. When Delilah became more important to Samson than God, it cost him everything, including the presence of God in his life.
It's also a glimpse into what an unhealthy relationship looks like. There was no trust. Both Samson and Delilah lied to each other - over and over and over again. Selfish desires ruled over the relationship. Healthy relationships are built on mutual trust - in word and deed. Healthy relationship seek to give not to get.
As we make choices about relationships, especially in dating and finding a mate, it's important that we seek healthy relationships that edify each other and lift up the name of Christ. If not, we're wasting our time, and ending up in a relationship that could be destructive.
Comments
Post a Comment