From exhaustion to revitalization in the family business.

My last post focused on the back-and-forth, revenge-focused battles between Samson and the Philistines, which continue to escalate until he kills 1,000 Philistines with the jawbone of a donkey. Samson is tired,

And he was very thirsty, and he called upon the LORD and said, “You have granted this great salvation by the hand of your servant, and shall I now die of thirst and fall into the hands of the uncircumcised?” And God split open the hollow place that is at Lehi, and water came out from it. And when he drank, his spirit returned, and he revived. Therefore the name of it was called En-hakkore; it is at Lehi to this day. And he judged Israel in the days of the Philistines twenty years. (Judges 15:18-20)

Samson is physically tired and thirsty after his last encounter with the Philistines. But we can also imagine a deeper weariness or exhaustion from the recurring cycle of conflict. Recall his wedding ended before it was consummated, he lost his prospective bride to his best man, and then she was killed. And, he fought the Philistines several times before this latest battle. The physical, emotional, even spiritual fatigue from such fighting takes a toll, and you can almost hear it in the way Samson simultaneously attributes his success to God while also holding God liable for quenching his thirst. God does provide water for Samson’s dehydration, but it is really his “spirit” that is satisfied. Samson’s revival is followed by 20 years of leadership.

When I think of the family business challenges I see — business strategy or employee problems, marriage and family relationship hurdles, succession and estate planning dilemmas — I also observe the weariness of family business members. Navigating the growth and transition of a small family company is really hard work on multiple fronts. Sometimes the challenges feel totally overwhelming. But sometimes the solution is very simple or basic: water in the case of physical exhaustion; faith in the case of emotional, relational, or spiritual exhaustion. A lesson from Samson is to remember that in our problems, God “grants a great salvation,” and our faith in God is ultimately what revives us, in much the same way Samson was revived through his faith in God and His provision.

What current or past situations in your family or business have exhausted you? When you been physically, emotionally, or spiritually fatigued, how has God nourished and revitalized your spirit?