Thorn In The Flesh

But he [God] said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.    

- The Apostle Paul, 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

This verse comes up often, many of those times in my own mind.

In the preceding verses, Paul explains that he was given, by a messenger of Satan [the Devil, the Evil One], a thorn in his flesh. We don’t know what that thorn was. While it could have been a spiritual problem, a physical problem, a mental or emotional problem, or the amount of persecution Paul had to endure, it is all speculation, as we simply do not know.

I find comfort in that, for not knowing means it could be very similar to whatever that thorn is in my own life (cancer, temptation, anxiety, or anything else that inhibits my growth and effectiveness as a follower of Jesus).

Not knowing Paul’s thorn means I don’t have to measure my thorn against his.

Paul continues by telling us that “three times” he pleaded with God to take the thorn away from him, but God’s answer was what Paul recorded in 1 Corinthians 12:9-10.

I, too, have pleaded with God to take away the cancer in me and in others. I have prayed for men to have the temptation of sexual sin completely removed from their lives. And, I pray for complete healing for men and women who struggle with substance abuse.

Yet, God’s answer is sometimes the same as the one He gave to Paul:

“No, I will not remove it, for I am at work in and through your suffering and affliction to draw you closer to Me and trust Me more than you ever have before. My power is more clearly demonstrated in your weakness.”

Whatever you're up against, continue to pray for God to make it right. But also know, that while you are waiting, if you will place your trust in Him, God will be at work in and through you to change you where it matters the most and allow you to be testimony to others of God’s power and faithfulness. Together, we will watch the Lord do greater things than we could ever do on our own.

Church, a Go First leader is not one that has everything figured out, but it IS one who daily surrenders to the Lord and allows God to do a transforming work, one thorn at a time.

I invite you to consider becoming a Go First leader here at The Church at RB, trusting God to work in you, and use you in ways you could never imagine. Check out our website for more information or come talk to us at the Go First Center on Sunday morning.

Pastor Ken

‍