Written ~ 09-12-2023
2 Corinthians 12:7b-10
“…I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud. Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time He said, ‘My Grace is all you need. My Power works best in weakness.’ So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
If you have read any of my other journaled thoughts from any of the books Paul has written, you already know how much I love him. He speaks his mind, with great revelation and truth, he doesn’t mince words and goes straight to the point. We learn in our verses for today that the Lord kept Paul humble by bringing some kind of infirmity, it kept him in enough of a weakened state that he had to rely on the Lord for everything. The Bible doesn’t reveal what that “thorn in his flesh” was, but because Paul begged the Lord to take it away, it was enough of a nuisance that I’m sure at times he was tired of having to deal with it. But what I love about Paul and the lesson we can learn from him, is that even though the Lord did not take away the “thorn in his flesh” he did not give up, he did not get angry by it, and he certainly did not blame God for it. Instead, what we see is a renewed strength in the Lord, a humble power given to him by God. Paul had received great visions and revelations from the Lord and if there was anybody who could be proud and boastful it was Paul. Let’s look at verses 12:5-7,
“That experience is worth boasting about, but I’m not going to do it. I will boast only about my weaknesses. If I wanted to boast, I would be no fool in doing so, because I would be telling the truth. But I won’t do it, because I don’t want anyone to give me credit beyond what they can see in my life or hear in my message, even though I have received such wonderful revelations from God. So, to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud.”
God was using Paul for great things to further His Kingdom, he preached the gospel, encouraged the churches he ministered to and didn’t give up when things got a little rough. Paul always brought the message back to Christ. He never placed the attention on himself, if he did, he would always show how Christ was working through every situation.
Think about your own life. Has God given you a wonderful talent, something you excel at and could become boastful about? Do you have extraordinary beauty or an extremely strong physique? What keeps you humble? When you hear the words proud, boastful, and humble, what does it make you think of in your own life? Let’s take a moment to explore these three words…
- PROUD = Having or displaying excessive self-esteem: having or showing an attitude of superiority and contempt for people or things perceived to be inferior. To exaggerate one’s own worth or importance often in an overbearing manner, to be arrogant.
- BOASTFUL = To praise oneself extravagantly in speech: speak of oneself with excessive pride.
- HUMBLE = Not proud or haughty: not arrogant or assertive. To be modest, down-to-earth, reserved, neither bold nor self-assertive.
Like I said before, if anyone could be proud or boastful, it’s Paul. But aren’t you glad he wasn’t? If we sensed even a tiny bit of boasting, his ministry would have come tumbling down, his words of instruction and encouragement might not have had the convicting power as they do now through his weaknesses. And that’s the reason God placed this “thorn in his flesh” to remind him always that Christ was his strength. With everything Paul endured, Christ was the one he leaned on, not his own strength or pride.
2 Corinthians 10:17-18 says,
“As the Scriptures say, ‘If you want to boast, boast only about the Lord.’ When people commend themselves, it doesn’t count for much. The important thing is for the Lord to commend them.”
Going back to the “thorn in Paul’s flesh.” Even though we don’t know exactly what it was for him, let’s examine ourselves. What keeps you humble? What is the “thorn in your flesh?” What is it that keeps you in a weakened state so the Lord’s strength can shine through? Paul begged the Lord to take his “thorn” away, three times he begged the Lord. What’s the Lord’s response? “My Grace is all you need. My Power works best in weakness.” If we want to work in the Power of the Lord, we must lay aside any thoughts of pride and a boastful attitude. To be affective in furthering the Kingdom of God, our focus must always be on the Lord. Think about it, if we are concentrating on how great we think we are and focusing solely on our own abilities, it’s time to check in with the Lord!
In verse 12:9b Paul says,
“…I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the Power of Christ can work through me…”
When we elevate the Lord in everything we do, our selfishness for recognition fades. Our hearts and minds begin to see through the eyes of the Lord and that’s a beautiful thing! In verse 12:10 Paul talks about his hardships and troubles. He even says he takes pleasure in suffering through those things so Christ’s strength could be what shines through and it’s through Christ that he is strong. If we look back at 2 Corinthians 11:25-27 Paul lists some of the things he had to endure…
“Five different times the Jewish leaders gave me thirty-nine lashes. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. Once I spent a whole night and a day adrift at sea. I have traveled on many long journeys. I have faced danger from rivers and from robbers. I have faced danger from my own people, the Jews, as well as from the Gentiles. I have faced danger in the cities, in the deserts, and on the seas. And I have faced danger from men who claim to be believers but are not. I have worked hard and long, enduring many sleepless nights. I have been hungry and thirsty and have often gone without food. I have shivered in the cold, without enough clothing to keep me warm.”
As we can see Paul suffered greatly, but he forged ahead. The message of Jesus Christ was more important than anything he would have to suffer and endure. In verse 11:30 Paul says,
“If I must boast, I would rather boast about the things that show how weak I am.”
That brings us to the verse 12:10 where he says,
“For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
When you look at the list of things Paul has endured for the Lord, some of the things we go through in a day might seem a little trivial. Where is that humble heart when we’re stuck in traffic or witnessing some really crazy drivers? How do we respond to criticism in the workplace? How do we show our weaknesses when family struggles are at their height? Are we showing a boastful, pride filled heart when our relationships are falling apart?
One thing we never see Paul do is ask the Lord to remove all his troubles. Yes, he asked for the “thorn in his side” to be removed, but never his trials and suffering. Why? Because he understood the importance of those things to create in him a heart fully dependent on the Lord. Do we have the same attitude as Paul? Do we work best in our weakness because Christ is working through us? Or do we push through with our own strength, do we insist on having things done our way? It may be time to have a little chat with the Lord. Ask the Lord to show you where you are struggling to let Him take over. Ask the Lord to reveal a pride filled, boastful spirit, deep within your heart. Ask Him to convict you of those times where you did things in your own strength and took credit for a “job well done.” Remember what Jesus says,
“My Grace is all you need. My Power works best in weakness.”
Maybe it’s time to humble your heart before the Lord and seek the Lord with a fully repentant heart. Stop trying to do everything on your own, by your own strength. Admit your weaknesses and ask the Lord to work through them and shine. Let’s come to the point in our lives where we can quote Paul and say,
“For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
~AMEN~