2 Corinthians 12:7-9

To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he 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.-NIV

A thorn in the flesh is one of the most uncomfortable experiences. Growing up we used to play outside barefoot sometimes wearing flip-flops. Where we stayed was near a bush, we would often go into the bushes to collect wild berries. Going in the bush meant there was a chance you could be a victim of a thorn under your feet. I would often scream, hopping to a place of safety to try and get an adult to help me get it out. There were instances where the thorn would not come out because maybe you put pressure on it while walking and it went in too deep under your feet.

Now imagine living with that unbearable discomfort for the rest of your life. Limping because of your thorn in the flash. Paul had this unbearable discomfort in his life. He was “limping”.  Paul being Paul and having a relationship with God, he pleaded with God to take it away as he felt tormented by it. He pleaded three times and God chose not to give him what He wanted, though He could. Paul was suffering whether physically or emotionally. The thorn made life unpleasant for him at times, otherwise he would not have pleaded with God to remove it. Yet God saw it fit for him to remain with it and endure the torment. Many of us may have so many questions about such moments in our lives.

What was this thorn?

The bible is not very clear on the literal meaning of the thorn, but what we know is it’s often interpreted as a metaphorical expression for a personal struggle or hardship that Paul faced. Different bible scholars reference Paul’s past as maybe the thorn, some think it may have been his blindness. There is a belief that he was partially blind and could not see clearly others believe it was his carnal temptation or depression that he had to live with.  Whatever the thorn was does not seem to mean much perhaps because even for each of us is a thorn we must live with different from the other. Perhaps we all have received a thorn in proportion to the need in our lives.

Why did Paul have to live with this thorn? What was the purpose?

It looks like Paul had potential to be conceited or boastful. He had the potential to forget where he came from or what the grace did for him and so he needed the thorn on his flash to have a constant reminder of his imperfection because his strength came from his imperfection. This is what we hear in this verse.  Paul is not the only one who becomes boastful and forgetful in perfection or a good season. Many of us are boastful and sometimes conceited when we are on an acceleration.  A gift of discomfort or a situation out of your hands is maybe the gift you need to draw closer to God, depend less on yourself and more on Him.  Often there is an expectation that what comes from God should only be good. I do believe that even in this instance this expectation is met, though the thorn may have come with the messenger of Satan to torment Paul, God used the opportunity to strengthen Paul’s dependency on Him. He says “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”  Like with Job, in Job 2, where God allowed for Satan to torment Job in order to save his soul in the long run, Paul and ourselves get tormented and challenged in order to depend less on ourselves but on God. How many times have you shared a small prayer when you realized the situation is out of your hands? Imagine realizing that a whole day is out of your hands even without knowing what will be of it and say that small prayer, asking God to lead and take it over as He wills because His plan is better than yours. For me this scripture is teaching me that self-dependency is a thorn in my flash. Doing and starting anything without God is conceitedness, arrogance, and boastfulness.  The word tells us in 1 John4:4 “greater is He that is in you than he who is in the world”. If Christ is in you, it makes sense then to start with Him than he who is in the world.

The scripture has empowered me to accept that I have a thorn in my flash, I cannot walk freely and to my full potential while limping unless I lean on God.  He is my rod and staff. Intonga yam no msimelelo wam.

Whatever your thorn(s) is, I hope you are also encouraged to bring it to God; not with the expectation that He will do the easy solution and remove it but that He may be your companion, your rod and your staff and help you to walk in Christ despite its presence.  Our strength does not come from lack of, but it comes from achieving and overcoming despite.

Be Blessed

LM