“This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3).

We live in a time when Hollywood and TV peddle sex as freely as vendors at a carnival peddle ride tickets or cotton candy. Car ads use sex to sell. Kids watch risqué television shows and see inappropriate images at almost any hour. Sex has become an American idol that threatens our moral and spiritual wellbeing. Interestingly, things haven’t changed much since Bible times.

As strong as the Bible character Samson was, he became as weak as a sapling in a hurricane when he entered into a sexual tryst with Delilah. First, she stole his heart, and then she stole his hair—hair that indicated his pledge to honor God. Samson revealed to her that his strength would leave him if his hair was cut off. So Delilah summoned a man to shave Samson’s head while he slept in her lap.

Idolizing Delilah went hand in hand with Samson’s wandering from God. Samson, now too weak to resist the Philistine enemy, became their prisoner.

“How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word” (Psalm 119:9).

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