A Thorn for Humility
On behalf of such a one I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except of my weaknesses. But if I wish to boast, I will not be a fool, for I will be speaking the truth. But I refrain from it, so that no one may think better of me than what is seen in me or heard from me, even considering the exceptional character of the revelations. Therefore, to keep me from being too elated, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me, to keep me from being too elated. Three times I appealed to the Lord about this, that it would leave me, but he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.” So, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities for the sake of Christ; for whenever I am weak, then I am strong.
- 2 Corinthians 12:5-10
A Thorn for Humility - Condensed Video
The final sentence is a remarkable statement of contentedness. Paul is content with everything, even persecutions and calamities endured for the sake of Jesus Christ, and he seeks weakness so that the power of the Holy Spirit may be made perfect in him. How might we find contentedness while suffering insults, hardship, persecution and calamities for the sake of Jesus Christ? The key to Paul’s frame of mind, the foundation of his faith is his relationship with God.
The Scripture reading is the second portion of a paragraph. Paul begins the paragraph discussing boasting and saying, “nothing is to be gained by it” (2 Corinthians 12:1). He continues describing an event that happened fourteen years earlier to a person, presumably Paul, during which he was transported to heaven and granted the amazing privilege of seeing and hearing the glory of heaven. He was “caught up in Paradise and heard things that are not to be told, that no mortal is permitted to repeat” (2 Corinthians 12:4).
We can imagine what Paul might have experienced based on the descriptions of heavenly revelations provided by Isaiah, Ezekiel and John, but Paul was not permitted to repeat his revelation and, besides that, he did not want anyone to think better of him. He was granted an amazing gift from God and he was careful not to discuss it in a way that would direct any focus on Paul – he wanted to keep everyone’s focus on Jesus Christ.
It is in this context that Paul mentions another gift, his thorn, designed to keep him “from being too elated.” Paul knew that God had the power and authority to take the thorn away from him – God had healed many in response to Paul’s prayers, people even passed around Paul’s handkerchiefs believing they possessed healing qualities – but after Paul prayed three times for God to take away the thorn he heard God say, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.”
God knew that Paul had experienced God’s glory in remarkable ways and Paul was at risk of allowing his amazing experiences to go to his head, so God allowed Paul to keep his thorn as a gift for humility. Paul refers to the condition tormenting him as a “thorn,” but we do not know what the condition was. It was possibly a lingering physical ache, pain or illness. It might have been a person who served as “a messenger of Satan to torment” him, an unholy desire or something entirely different. And that is part of the beauty of God’s holy word – we do not know the specific identity of Paul’s thorn, so there is no limit to parallels in our lives.
Think about your encounters with God the Father, with Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit. Think about the times you have been reading God’s holy word and the message comes to life, the times you have prayed and you felt His Holy Presence burning deep within your soul, the times you have been caught up worshiping and you felt goose bumps of joy, the times when His Holy Presence was so near you could touch, smell and feel Him, the times when in the ears of your spirit you heard Him speaking to you, the times when you have prayed and suddenly God placed the right person in your path. Think of the quiet, ordinary moments when God’s glory is suddenly revealed in a new way. Isn’t it amazing that the eternal, infinite, almighty, holy, pure, divine One, the Creator of all things, the Author of life continuously grants you the gift of holy grace?
Whether or not you have experienced the sort of heavenly vision that God granted Paul, you have probably experienced God’s blessing in remarkable ways. As a result of His holy gift of grace in each of our lives, we are each at risk of allowing our relationship with Him to go to our heads. If you are experiencing a thorn, follow Paul’s example and ask God to take it away, and if it lingers, perhaps it is, like Paul’s thorn, a gift for humility.
God says, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.” How is power made perfect in weakness? Electric power is made better by improved consistency, battery power is made better by longer life, and athletic power and military power are made better by additional strength. In the world, power is not improved by weakness, but in God’s kingdom power is made perfect through our weakness.
Jesus promises, “you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you” (Acts 1:8). We received the power of the Holy Spirit when He came upon each of us. Through weakness, brokenness, suffering and pain we seek God, we desire God, we discover the ability to trust God, we find humility, we rely on His power rather than our own. His power is perfect. Weakness strengthens our connection to His perfect power. Through weakness we discover His strength.
I pray that God grants each of us His holy blessing of contentedness. May you find His rest, His peace, His holy comfort in every aspect of your life in a new and refreshed way.