Raising Samson (the wild child)

To clarify, I do not have a son named Samson.  Nor do any of my children possess super strength.  But at times I feel for the woman who had to raise Samson because raising 'wild children' is not an easy task.

Well before I gave birth to my first child, I prayed that God wouldn't give me any children who would reject Him.  An odd prayer?  Yes, especially for a teenager.  But I decided a long time ago, I'd rather be barren than have children who opposed God in their hearts. Fast forward 20 some years and here I am with 6 kids.  Some of them love the Lord deeply, some of them are too young to tell, and then there's one - one I'm just not sure about.

This one child drains my energy more than all the others combined.  He is constantly stirring up trouble.  His mouth knows no bounds and it seems that the concept of self-discipline has been permanently banned from his brain.  While I used to believe that I was pretty adept at raising children, this child baffles me daily.  My normal discipline techniques do not work.  My normal encouraging words fall on deaf ears.  I'm not particularly sure what motivates this boy other than his fleshly desires and I am highly concerned for his soul.  He's my Samson.

But wait!  Wasn't Samson considered one of the heroes of the Bible?  Well, yes.  Yet if you read Judges 13-16 in depth, instead of glossing over the messy parts, you quickly learn that Samson's life was riddled with trouble - mostly of his own making.  As a young man, he could kill wild animals with his bare hands, he liked to trick people, and he was a vengeful lustful man with a propensity for murder.  Honestly, there is little good recorded in the Bible about Samson other than the fact that God used him to defeat the Philistines and he judged Israel for 20 years.  However, when I read these passages, all I can think of is his poor mother.

How do you raise a child to love the Lord and do His will when your child seems mostly concerned about himself and getting what he wants?  How do you not lose your temper daily with a child like this?  How do you handle a loud boisterous child who lacks self control?  What do you do when a child takes great pleasure in antagonizing others?  No, my child did not tie 300 foxes in pairs, light their tales on fire, and send them into storehouses of food to burn it down.  My child also hasn't killed 30 men to take their possessions in order to pay off a bet.  But let me tell you, there are days when I wonder exactly what is going to come of his life.  Will he find his way to jail?  Will he find great pleasure in the sins of the world?  Will he ever submit to Christ and love Him with his whole heart?

This child is way too young to be considered a 'wild child.' But as you can see, the seeds were planted at a young age.  In this picture he became very angry when we told him 'no,' so he went to his room and dumped baby powder everywhere to get back at us. In fact, after the third time of this type of 'revenge' I had to remove all baby powder from the house.  He wasn't even two yet.  But the shirt seems very fitting.  And, no, raising him didn't get easier as he got older. 

I don't know.  I honestly cannot tell the future.  However this I do know, Samson made it.  And if there is hope for Samson, there is hope for my son.  So while I work on the daily struggles with this child I remind myself of these things regarding his future:

1) Samson was chosen by God before birth to do God's work in this world.  (Judges 13:5)  In fact, God said something similar about Jeremiah in Jeremiah 1:5.  The truth is, before we were born, God knew us and He has a plan for our lives.  He also has a plan for our children's lives - even the wild ones.  God has a plan for my Samson even if I have no idea what it is.

2) Samson was exceptionally strong because God made him that way to do God's work.  Samson did not always use his gift wisely.  In fact, he was a pretty angry guy and made some really foolish choices.  But in spite of his faults, God still used him in a mighty way.  God can use my son too.  Though I may see his faults daily, that doesn't deter God.  God doesn't give up on my child because he's naughty, and neither will I.

3) Samson often gave into his flesh.  He did a lot of things that "seemed right in his own eyes" (Judges 14:3).  The Bible warns us in Proverbs 21:2 that "Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the heart."  We know that fleshly desires and God's Law are often at odds.  But in spite of all the weaknesses of Samson's flesh, God still weighed his heart.  His sins, though great, did not determine his eternal destiny.  

4) Finally, Samson finished well, and that is the part of the story we remember.  His life of sin lead to a lot of terrible consequences in this world.  But at the end, when the Philistines were using him for entertainment while they worshiped Dagon, he asked God to strengthen him one last time and brought judgement on God's enemies!  The first part of my child's life has been rough.  I suspect there is a very bumpy road ahead.  Hopefully, the bumps only endure for a few years, but they might endure for the majority of his life.  But up until his final breath, he has a chance to finish well.

My child has hope, and I must remind myself of this daily.  Many of the great men of God have serious sin struggles.  My child will likely struggle too.  But God can still use him in spite of his struggles.  Though his life might be hard, God hasn't turned His back on him.  It may take this particular child a bit longer to formulate a deep relationship with Christ, but I pray that he will, and I'll remind him daily that God has a purpose for his life.  He has gifted my child differently than any other child in this world and has a special plan just for him.  If God can create Samson, use Samson, and even fill him with His Spirit, He can use my boy too. Wild children are not a lost cause.