The Thorn in your Life

All of us have a thorn of some sort in our life. We humans have a way of making an emotional something seem bigger in the reality of our day to day existence. Or you could be overwhelmed by a situation where you feel you have no control.
When our family moved to Grapevine, Texas, in 1962 I was introduced to sandburs and goat-heads, or at least that is what we called them. The house we left in Grand Prairie, Texas, had a beautiful St. Augustine lawn with no stickers. However, the church property was covered with these outrageous plants. It was really a shock to me. We lived in the parsonage behind the church so these patches of small thorns became my playground.
The sandburs hurt enough when stuck in the foot, but the goat-heads hurt even more. The mind of this 8 year old boy would be intensely focused on the sticker until it was removed. All activity was halted and play did not resume until the thorn was removed and I regained my composure. It did not take long for me to learn the importance of wearing shoes while playing outside. Gone were the days of playing outdoors barefoot.
The Apostle Paul wrote about the thorn in his life which he desired for God to take away. In 2 Corinthians 12:7-8 “And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.”
The Bible does not mention what this “thorn in the flesh” would be in the life of Paul. Some theologians have speculated a speech impediment or a physical abnormality, but we just don’t know. Never the less, the thorn was there. Paul was indeed gifted and wise in the ways of God, but the thorn was there to make sure that God received the glory, not Paul.
Paul asked God to take the thorn away. God answers in 2 Corinthians 12:9a “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness…”
Right there we see the rub. Like stroking the fur of a cat in the wrong direction, we humans have a hard time with the idea of a weakness. Our society places a premium on perfection. Social media will always show the best side of the individual…like we really have our act all together. Ordinary people spend untold hours watching reality programming for the celebrities, the rich and famous, knowing all along that the odds are very long for ordinary folks to achieve that level of material wealth or otherwise good looks.
Paul learned the importance of the thorn. It was a weakness he desired for God to take away, but God said no. Paul was persistent, asking God three times to remove it.
Paul, accepting the thorn, made this remark in 2 Corinthians 12:9b “…Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.”
This is a great sign of spiritual maturity in accepting the will of God.
So, what is your thorn?
For some it is the outcome of an election. Social media is rich is posts from people who either love or hate the candidates. It might be the situation at your church…you just don’t like it. It could be your financial situation, your health, family issues, a stable job, a delay in retirement. Whatever that thorn might be, I encourage you to adopt the wisdom of Paul. Instead of rejecting the thorn, embrace it and accept it, allowing God to work His Will.
The more weakness we have the more God is able to use us as a vessel for the Kingdom of God. Ultimately, it is He who will receive the glory for what is accomplished, not you or me.
Jeremiah summed up the argument pretty well in Jeremiah 9:23-24 “Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD.”
The issue isn’t that you are smart or strong, rich or poor, or handsome or ordinary. The issue is that we give God the glory for all things and ourselves recede into the background.
Remember the words of Paul, 1 Corinthians 3:6 “I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.” We must remember to give God the glory for all things, for they are His will and for His glory.
All of us have a thorn of some sort; it might be in your foot or in your side. It might even be in your heart. But ultimately we should learn the thorn is there as a tribute to our weakness thus allowing God to move mightily in our lives.
See you in church. ---Bro. Louis