Thorn in the flesh
We all hate afflictions and any kind of illness. We think, having them is unreasonable and unnecessary in life. Specially if we know we are doing everything right and we always faithful in the Lord’s service. We think of many reasons why it is unfair: They are added burden, a hindrance, and limiting the work of the Lord. When we have them, we want God to take them away from us immediately, and we do everything to be sure they stay gone.
However, God’s opinion differs from ours. The Bible says, “His thought are not our thought, and His ways are not our ways.” While we feel we do not deserve to be afflicted or suffer, God says we need them and they are necessary in order to experience glorious victory.
Apostle Paul went through all these. He was a model servant of God: obedient, committed, and faithful but God decided that he needed this particular affliction that Paul identified as his “thorn in the flesh.”
Lesson/Application:
As a young and adventurous boy, I and my friends would sometimes go to a place where we would get these prickly thorns. They would get attached to our clothes and skin as we walked. It was hard to avoid them. They were painfully sharp when they they get into your skin. They caused itchiness, and hard to get rid of. When we tried to brush them off, they ended up in another part of our body to cause another discomfort. This sounded to me like a “thorn in the flesh,” in a physical form.
Apostle Paul, human as he was disliked his “thorn in the flesh.” But because of his faith as a man of God, he finally realized and understood its purpose. He considered it as a reminder from God for him to remain humble and grounded so that all the blessings and the opportunities he had received would not make him selfish and heady. He welcomed God’s decision for this “thorn in the flesh” to stay with him indefinitely. He would rather choose the grace of God than the ease, convenience, and comfort of a trial-free life.
“Thorn in the flesh,” is a message from the Lord. We get it when God allows Satan to tempt us, when He believed we need it. To Satan, his purpose is to tempt and lure us to sin, but to God, it is to trust and fully depend on Him during trials to enjoy God’s power and victory.
When we find ourselves suffering from issues we cannot control and afflictions we cannot seem to avoid, in spite of being faithful and blessed, get the message clear: it is a “thorn in the flesh.”
God allows it to keep us balance, stay grounded, humble, and always mindful of the blessedness and power of His grace. It is an effective way to prevent pride to rule our hearts.
Conclusion:
When God decides that we need to experience this, the more His grace abounds and the more it is sufficient. For when we are reminded of its presence, through difficulties and sufferings, we begin to realize our weakness. God then pours out more of His grace; sufficient to calm our fears, to enjoy peace in the midst of the storm, and to continue our walk with Him. We become wiser and have better understanding and perspective of God’s divine plan.
Because of the “thorn in the flesh,” we become more empathetic and effective in ministering to others. The “thorn in the flesh” helps us become much bolder and courageous in the service of the Lord!
An hour ago I was discharged from Kaiser ER because of chest pain after preaching during IBBA Graduation ceremony. I know God allowed this as my “thorn in the flesh.” I have a choice to complain, grumble, or succumb to weakness, and use it as a reason to quit. But I chose to thank and praise God for it. Because it is His way of telling me that He is not yet done with me! He still wants to use me. Praise God!