What's Your Thorn?

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But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is perfected in weakness.” – 2 Corinthians 12:9 (CSB)

Type 1 Diabetes, low thyroid hormone (Hashimoto’s Disease), Diabetic retinopathy, chronic back pain, and now poison ivy—these are a few of my own afflictions. Some of you have much worse illnesses and health issues. We all deal with less-than-perfect health during our life here on earth. Our ill health can be a distraction to our work and purpose in building God’s Kingdom.

I read about Paul’s sufferings in 2 Corinthians 11:23-33. He truly suffered for Christ. Yet he boasted of his weaknesses for they pointed to the power and sufficiency of Christ. He spoke of an affliction he referred to as “a thorn in his side.” He implored the Lord three times to take away his misery. But God said to him that His grace was sufficient for Paul and His power was perfected in Paul’s weakness.

Many of Jesus’s healings involved sin as the cause for the afflictions. We don’t like to think that our illness was brought on by sin in our life and I don’t believe God necessarily causes our pain but He can bring good from our suffering. As Jesus healed the blind, the sick, and the lame, in some cases the problem was a means to display God’s works so that more souls could be reached. (John 9:1-3) Sometimes our afflictions enable us to bring comfort to others because we received comfort from God ourselves. (2 Corinthians 1:4)

Our bodies need exercise to stay strong. We lift weights, run, walk, and watch our diet to keep these physical temples healthy. But we can’t forget to flex the muscles of our minds and protect the health of our godliness. 1 Timothy 4:8 tells us that the training of the body has limited benefit, but godliness is beneficial in every way since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. Exercise your mind by reading God’s Word and trying to produce the fruit of the Spirit.

Paul said he took pleasure in his own weaknesses including those not physical, for he said, “when I am weak, then I am strong” in Christ.

Questions for Reflection:

1. What physical thorns do you deal with? What emotional thorns do you struggle with?

2. Could a great loss be a thorn?

3. How might you turn your thorn into a witnessing tool?

4. How might you consider your thorn a blessing?