TOXIC RELATIONSHIPS
Relationships are powerful because they have the potential to be bridges or burdens. Everyone wants to feel connected to others through relationships. This brings fulfillment and joy; however, we should be aware that not all relationships are good for us. Whether it is a friendship, casual acquaintance, or deeper relationship, we must be able to discern when we are in an unhealthy situation. A lot of people remain in relationships with people who are hurting them or taking advantage of them. Because they do not know their self-worth, they remain connected to people and situations that are actually depleting them spiritually and taking them down the wrong path.
Let's take a lesson from Samson in (Judges 14:1-3) In Old Testament Israel it was typically the fathers that arranged the marriages of their children and they made the necessary negotiation with the bride's family. Here Samson offers his parents no choice in the matter. He comes home from gallivanting and gives his parents a forceful imperative “get her for me as a wife”. In other words, there is no need for discussion here. His father and mother respond by saying. “Is there no woman among the daughters of your brethren, or among all my people, that you must go and get a wife from the uncircumcised philistines? (Verses 3).
What Samson wanted to do was clearly against the word of God. The lord had told them that when they entered the land of cannan they were not to intermarry with the pagans nations around them, nor shall you make marriages with them. “You shall not give your daughters to their son, nor their daughters for your sons.” (Deuteronomy 7:3). Intermarrying with Pagans means making a marriage covenant with someone who worship other gods, which (besides been blatant disobedient to God) would in turn greatly tempt the Israelites towards idolatry in one way or the other. Samson seems to show no regards for this precept of God's law or the fact that his request meant asking his parents to compromise. Can you imagine if they said “oh that's great son, we're so happy for you, I'm sure she's a very nice girl with a very nice family”. That would have been a horrible council because regar