When comfort becomes our prison

God is our strength. From birth He gives us strength. We are all born with purpose, or purposes, and a calling.

Like Samson, (a character in the bible found in Judges 13-16), we are born for a reason. We are created and born with a purpose, a reason, and with gifts. We are given a mind, a personality, and all the specific things we will need to fulfill and live out that purpose. We see signs of what our purpose is through our early years. We have an internal sense and innate desires for that purpose.

Samson knew He had a purpose. He didn't know how it would all play out. But He had the desires and abilities inside of himself that pointed him toward that purpose. He saw, as many people also saw and witnessed, the strength that he had. He had experiences of functioning in his strength and purpose. He was gifted.

All of us are gifted. Gifted in what we were made for. Gifted, given innate abilities and extra strength, to function in and do certain things. Yet, at times, we find ourselves in life suddenly weak. Unable to fulfill what we thought we were going to do. Seemingly unable to be who we thought we were going to be.

We may still have the gifts and the desires, but something else in our life seems to undo the good things we do. Something else seems to keep stealing our strength, our desire, and ultimately keeps us from fully walking out our purposes.

Samson had known who God was. He knew God's strength. He knew God's gifts. He knew the passion behind serving God and doing things that He was made to do. Living in his moments of gifts and purpose was exhilarating. But he hadn't yet known God as his comfort.

His comfort, for many years, had come from his strength. His comfort and identity was in what He could do. He was comforted in the fact that he had gifts, strength, and an amazing calling and purpose. Yet, when he wasn't "doing things” he was unsettled.

Unsettled like many of us are. We feel alive in those moments of working or helping others. We feel fulfilled and comforted when we are working and "doing things". Things that align with our gifts and callings.

Yet there is an internal, unsettled, unfulfilled part of us. A deeper part of us that feels so much the opposite when those “good” moments pass. When work ends, when serving, teaching or parenting ends. Whatever it might be. We find ourselves, at our core and in our minds, unsettled. We want and need comfort.

Samson probably felt amazing when he was young. Everyone looked at him as a Savior. He was the Allstar. Everyone waited to see what he would be and what he would do. Samson began to function and walk in some of his gifts.

As the things that he did and as the feats he had accomplished passed, he probably realized he needed something more. Having his gift of strength, and basically being a “superhero”, was cool. But I’m certain that at times he felt that sense of, “What now?”

After being able to kill 2000 Philistine soldiers all by himself, after the glory of the moment faded, he may have thought and felt deep within himself, "What's next?" Who knows all of the things he may have thought or felt. Who knows what all he may have tried in attempting to appease this unsettled feeling and question. We do know, however, that he went to women. They were a comfort.

Like many of us we find comfort in a partner. In sex, in spending money, in buying things, or even in working more. We find comfort in whatever seems to numb and satisfy that discomfort that lies within.

After our moments of functioning in our gifts have passed, something inside screams for comfort. After we achieved our career. When parenting is over and the children are gone. When the love of your life has left. When dreams die, or maybe just aren't quite all that you'd hoped they'd be, we have a cry inside of us. "WHAT'S NEXT? Is there anything else? I need comfort. I need fulfillment."

For Samson, having someone who was beautiful, who caressed him, held him, combed their fingers through his hair, it was a comfort during his "downtime". It makes sense to me. Of course that would seem comforting. No one wants to be, or feel, alone. On so many levels I can see how women, or a woman, would be a comfort.

Samson had known God as many things, and on many levels. But ultimately, because he had not known God as his comfort, it undermined everything else he did. His discomfort seemed to be stronger than the strength that God had put inside of him.

His comfort, “women”, ultimately became, and led him to, his prison. Just like our temporary comfort(s) can become our prison.

Samson was imprisoned and blinded long before the Philippines captured him and burned out his eyes. The physical arrest and imprisonment of Samson, even his sight being taken away, was only an external picture of what had already occurred in his soul.

God knew that the only way for Samson to fulfill his destiny, and function fully in what he was made for, he would have to see the prison that he was in. Samson had to learn that what he had made “his comfort” would, and did, own him.

Maybe we are starting to see that some of our comforts are owning us. Maybe God, in His wisdom, has let you begin to see some of your comforts for what they are. A prison. If you happen to recognize that maybe you are in a type of prison to something that has been your comfort, then there is good news.

It was in Samsons prison that He learned. In prison he gained a strength that was greater than he had ever had before. In his isolation, after having all stripped away from him, he was forced to find, see, and begin to know God as his comfort.

During his days, then weeks, then months, in a dark cold prison. In chains as a prisoner, weak and now blind, he had no more glory or attention. With no more performing or functioning in the identity and comfort of his gifts, he found The Comforter.

Even though he was "in hell", God showed him that HE was still with him. [“Even though I make my bed in Hell, you are with me.”] Even though Samson had been blinded, he was now blessed with sight that was even greater. To see God in a deeper, more personal and comforting way.

God was removing shame, guilt, and all false identities. Samson’s prison would become his blessing. What the enemy means to be used as evil against you, God will turn it into something great. Samson’s time in prison taught him that the attention and approval of God was all that mattered.

The people Samson “served'', those he fought for, the ones that had idolized him and that he wanted to please, they were no longer around. They didn’t offer to go live in prison with him. To be with him, to comfort him. But God did.

God was the only one who could fulfill him. God loved, accepted and approved of him. Even when he was no longer functioning in his gifts. Even when Samson had “failed” God saw him as the child He loved and had created. Even though Samson was not "doing" anything, God never left him.

As Samson learned the true depth of who God was, it made him grow strong again. As he learned who his comfort was, he began to be recreated. This time he was being built up into the fullness of who and what he was created to be.

As he learned who and what his fulfillment was, who it came from, he was “reborn”. Once Samson learned and grew to know God as his comfort, he regained his strength. A strength that this time could not be taken.

Once God is our comfort, our peace, and we know Him fully, then nothing can be taken from us. Strength is good. But having a confidence, a comfort and a peace in Him, that is unshaken, is even better.

Once Samson placed God in the core of himself and allowed God to be his true comfort, then he would never have reason to go to "another comfort". Which means nothing within him would ever be stolen or lost ever again. Even if his life was taken, nothing could steal or take away his true life or purpose. Once we humbly accept God as our true comfort we will then be strong.

Samson physically appears to be extremely strong in his early years. He accomplished more feats, etc. Yet, it was in His most broken place, and during what would have seemed like his lowest place, that He was the strongest. It was during this lowly and broken time that he accomplished his greatest feat. The feat, the purpose, that he was destined and created for. 'To destroy the Philistines and set Israel free'.

Whether you seem to have great gifts or purpose, or not. Whether you live well, do good, or not. You are still just as important, loved, and accepted by God. You will never be abandoned by God. Let these truths comfort you, fulfill you, and give you peace.

Know Him as your loving Father. He created you for a purpose. But He doesn't love you because of that purpose. He doesn’t accept you because of that purpose. He just loves you. He just accepts you. You are enough and you can be comforted in that.

As we learn to find Him as our comfort then we learn to be content. Even if it seems that in this world we have nothing. Even if it seems, in a society of comparison, that we “are nothing”. We can let God teach us to be content with that. Then when he makes us “something” we will be on the foundational rock of comfort and peace. We will have learned to live and walk being content, and in humility.

If we are humbled, and remain humble, then we are a servant of all. If you're a servant of all, then there is no platform. With no platform there is no place to fall from. By living content with God, in humility, we are already low.

What will it take for us to become low? I know what it took and what it is taking for me. My story, much like Samson, seems harsh but it’s my blessing.

Start asking God how you can begin the journey of finding HIM as your comfort. Don't try and do it on your own. And don't try to change things on your own, out of fear. Ask God to give you wisdom. Ask Him to become your comfort.

What small things, what comforts, can he show you now that might become prisons in the future? Don't search to be, or become, something. Search for who He says you already are.

When you find yourself uncontent and in search for comfort, in whatever it may be, remember to ask God to keep teaching you to let Him be your comfort. He sent us, He gave us freely, His Spirit. The Holy Spirit, “The Comforter”. Ask for, seek, and learn to know His comfort. In His comfort your strength can never be taken. In His strength, comfort, and the identity He gives you nothing can ever be taken from you.

"For I am convinced [and continue to be convinced—beyond any doubt] that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present and threatening, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the [unlimited] love [and comfort] of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Romans 8:38‭-‬39 AMP