Oh That Thorn

Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say, or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 2:7-10)

There is a thorn for everyone. Even the apostle Paul had a thorn in his flesh. A thron he said was a messenger of Satan, and it was to torment him. Sound familiar? It does to me. I have fought to overcome my anxiety for years, but success has eluded me. Not only anxiety, but anxiety's good friend depression. The two are so close you can hardly separate them. I few months ago I was having my usual morning bible reading time, when I came across Paul's writing about his thorn in the flesh. I came away with a new perspective on my anxiety. Maybe, just maybe it's the thorn as descirbed by Paul. We don't know what Paul's thorn was, though some thoughts are he experienced bad eyesight, he didn't speak very well, and even anxiety. Reading though Paul's letters you'll find Paul writing about his anxious thoughts. Knowing Paul's thorn in the flesh isn't what's important. His attitude toward it is.

Some Christians will tell you that your struggles are indicators of your spiritual condition. "You just need to have more faith." "You have sin you need to confess." These statements are simply not biblical. Paul says he plead with God three times to remove the thorn, but God, three times, responded "no." Paul stated the thorn in his flesh served a purpose. In his case it was to keep him from becoming conceited. It also provided Paul an opportunity to see his dependence on God. For in his weaknesses, Jesus' strength was shown. He saw that in Jesus he could be strong, even in his weaknesses.

Thorns in our flesh aren't fun to have. They can torment us. However,like Paul, we can find purpose and dependence in our thorns. Our thorns give us a chance to rely on Jesus for our strength. What would life be without thorns? Look at a rose. The flower of romance. So beautiful and elegant. But, handle it with care because the beautiful rose has throns. And if you ask me, the beauty of the rose overcomes the thorns it carries with it. Our life can be like that of the rose. Though the are thorns, there is beauty.