Thorn in the Flesh

Because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me--to keep me from exalting myself! Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me. And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Cor 12:7-10)

This is a fairly well-known passage--Paul's "thorn in the flesh". Scholars have suggested multiple possibilities about just what it was. Maybe it was bad eyes (since he needs someone to write his letters for him) or a speech problem (because he mentions his speech isn't so elegant in person). Maybe it's gout or headaches or something like that. He calls it "a messenger of Satan", so maybe it was a person of evil who hounded him. (Does "messenger of Satan" rule out physical maladies? Is there any biblical precedence for disease or disability to be a messenger of Satan?) Frankly, no one knows.

Personally I'm glad he wasn't clear. Because I don't really associate physical difficulties with "messenger of Satan". No, for me the "thorn in the flesh" I fight most is sin. Do you have recurring temptations? Are there one or two things in your life that keep surfacing that you may be able to beat after awhile only to have them return? If you tell me, "No", I'd have to call you a liar because we all have such things. John spoke of three: "the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life." (1 John 2:16) James saw the tongue as a real problem (James 3:2-13). If you have those items under control, let me know. I've not met the perfect Christian yet.

I've struggled in the past with this. Why doesn't God help me with my besetting sins? I've brought the things I battle to the feet of Christ and begged for help. "Take them away," I've cried. "Remove them from me." Because, try as I might, they keep coming back, like messengers of Satan, like a thorn in the flesh. Yeah, like that. And when I see that connection, I also have my answer.

Paul said God refused to take it away. He refused. And He explained. "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." That's the answer. Paul concluded, "When I am weak, then I am strong." That's the secret.

I would really like it if my temptations were removed, my trials handled, my sins eliminated. God has a better idea. He wants to keep me dependent on exactly the One on whom I need to be dependent. He wants to constantly remind me I'm not autonomous, not sufficient, not capable on my own. He doesn't want me depending on my own power. He wants me depending on the power of Christ dwelling in me. And if I had no thorn, that wouldn't be likely.

Thank you, Jesus, for the thorns.