If we look at the story of Samson, there is an interesting pattern that shows up.
So it begins when Samson is getting married. At his wedding he poses a riddle to some Philistine guests. When they are able to best him and solve his riddle, he gets mad a walks out on his wedding. Later when he decides to go enjoy his wife he finds out that since he didn’t complete the wedding, the wife was given to another man. So he burns all the fields and grain stores of the Philistines. So the Philistines burn the wife and her family. So Samson kills over a thousands of them. So then the Philistines capture Samson, gouge out his eyes and make him into a slave. So then Samson pushes over a building on everyone killing thousands and himself.
The story of Samson is one of revenge and one-upping. You hurt me so I’m going to hurt you even more. His fights and battles get bigger and bigger which in turn makes his enemies retaliate bigger and bigger.
When you fight fire with fire, all you get is a bigger fire. Perhaps that’s why God tells us to forgive and not take vengeance into our own hands. Conflicts are never one by fighting back. You might be able to hurt your opposition more than they hurt you, but is hurting people really winning?
Walking away from conflicts that really aren’t important, showing love and compassion, allowing others to get their way…these are things that throw water on the fire.
Never once did Samson say that he was getting into any his fights for the Lord. But at least three times he mentions getting revenge for himself. Ultimately it is what killed him.
Don’t be like Samson.