“And to keep me from being too elated by the abundance of revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan, to harass me, to keep me from being too elated.” (2 Corinthians 12:7, RSV)
Ever dealt with a person at work who drove you to tears because of her demands? Ever had a child repeat a question so many times that you want to scream? Have you ever seen a man who was so prideful that he would rather lose his way than ask for directions? People can be obnoxious, persnickety, overbearing, nosey, bothersome, demanding, and so much more. You also may be the bane of someone’s existence. Your personal hang-ups might be driving someone crazy right now! Your insecurities may make others feel uncomfortable. Your irritability in some situations might even make your family cringe.
You must learn to deal with people who can be difficult. Then again, you may find yourself with a “thorn in the flesh”. That kind of person will cause you pain and agony so consistently that you are driven to distraction or anxious beyond words. A person who is a “thorn in the flesh” may enjoy pushing your buttons or riding you. He or she may relish in seeing you suffer. That person may be a perfectionist or maybe even “so perfect its sickening”. Every one of us deals with a “thorn in the flesh”. Sadly, we often do not realize how that “thorn in the flesh” may be someone sent by God to engender something in your spiritual journey.
Josie met Karl in her second semester of college. As Josie was studying at the library, Karl was whispering a little too loud. She shushed him up a dozen times before moving to a different spot in the library. As she passed him that day, she gave him the cold stare. Thereafter, she gave him the cold shoulder.
For months after their first meeting, Karl would point out Josie’s need to do well in school. He would call her “miss perfect”. Several times, he shushed her in the hallways when she was speaking, harking back to their first encounter in the library. Karl got under Josie’s skin. He drove her to distraction. She became anxious whenever he was around.
Karl sought the opposite. After meeting Josie, he thought she was cute in an “honor student” kind of way. He knew she was intelligent. He just figured that she was way too uptight and stressed. He made it his goal to make her laugh. He went out of his way to invite her to fun parties, sports events, and student get-togethers. This only seemed to make Josie more uncomfortable around him.
If you fast forward four years, you’d see a whole different story between Karl and Josie. They are now married. Their friends say they are great for each other. Where Josie is an intelligent but anxious Certified Public Accountant, Karl is her opposite. He is a fun-loving second grade teacher, who enjoys making Josie smile. It seems that Josie’s “thorn in the flesh” Karl was the best thing that ever happened to her.
God can and does send a “thorn in the flesh” into your life. You may not call that person a friend or marry that person, but you can be sure that he or she is influencing your decisions and actions. The thorn in the flesh of a Christian politician is the reporter who keeps hounding him on his stances. The thorn in the flesh of a pastor is the church treasurer who keeps blocking new programs due to a “lack of funds”. Have you recently had a “thorn in the flesh” sent by God?
The Apostle Paul wrote 2 Corinthians 12:7. In that verse, Paul explained that to “keep him from becoming conceited” because of all his successes, God sent Paul a “thorn in the flesh” to “harass” him. It kept Paul from becoming arrogant and thinking too highly of himself. Paul’s “thorn in the flesh” was a person who certainly thought about doing evil to Paul, but this forced Paul to watch his steps, follow closely God’s vision, and keep faithful to the gospel. Essentially, the closeness of this “thorn in the flesh” kept Paul honest to himself and to God. Though the “thorn in the flesh” maybe desired to hurt Paul, instead God used that person to keep Paul on the straight and narrow road that leads to the Kingdom of God.
Don’t overlook that God may send into your life a person who becomes your bane of existence, a person who is your “thorn in the flesh”. That person may even have evil intent, but it will force you to learn how to be faithful in the presence of evil. That person may seem a bother or a nuisance. It may be that God wants you to learn to help others who are different. You may even think that person is “getting under your skin” in a bad way when instead, he or she is forcing you to learn or grow or develop patience or perseverance.
Scottish preacher, George Matheson had his own “thorn in the flesh” to work through. He lost his eyesight. Not long after, his loss of his eyesight became a very valuable spiritual lesson. He prayed, “My God, I have never thanked You for my thorn. I have thanked You a thousand times for my roses, but not once for my thorn. I have been looking forward to a world where I shall get compensated for my cross, but I have never thought of my cross as itself a present glory. Teach me the value of my thorn.” (From “Our Daily Bread” as found in 10,000 Sermon Illustrations)
“We don’t often thank God for our trials, heartaches, and difficulties. Although we are willing to praise Him for His goodness, we sometimes fail to realize that even adverse circumstances are blessings in disguise.
When we count our blessings, we should include the weaknesses, the hardships, the burdens, and the trials we face. If we do, we might find that God has used our difficulties more than the “good” things to help us grow spiritually. Why is that? Because it is in those difficult places that we discover the sufficiency of His grace. In our trials, we turn to God. As we depend on Him, we find that His strength is made perfect in our weakness (2 Cor. 12:9). Take a moment and think about the way God has led you. When you praise God for your blessings, do you remember to thank Him for the thorns?” ( P.R.V.,
“Our Daily Bread”, Thursday, April 14)
You must learn to deal with people who can be difficult. Then again, you may find yourself with a “thorn in the flesh”. That kind of person will cause you pain and agony so consistently that you are driven to distraction or anxious beyond words. A person who is a “thorn in the flesh” may enjoy pushing your buttons or riding you. He or she may relish in seeing you suffer. That person may be a perfectionist or maybe even “so perfect its sickening”. Every one of us deals with a “thorn in the flesh”. Sadly, we often do not realize how that “thorn in the flesh” may be someone sent by God to engender something in your spiritual journey.
Josie met Karl in her second semester of college. As Josie was studying at the library, Karl was whispering a little too loud. She shushed him up a dozen times before moving to a different spot in the library. As she passed him that day, she gave him the cold stare. Thereafter, she gave him the cold shoulder.
For months after their first meeting, Karl would point out Josie’s need to do well in school. He would call her “miss perfect”. Several times, he shushed her in the hallways when she was speaking, harking back to their first encounter in the library. Karl got under Josie’s skin. He drove her to distraction. She became anxious whenever he was around.
Karl sought the opposite. After meeting Josie, he thought she was cute in an “honor student” kind of way. He knew she was intelligent. He just figured that she was way too uptight and stressed. He made it his goal to make her laugh. He went out of his way to invite her to fun parties, sports events, and student get-togethers. This only seemed to make Josie more uncomfortable around him.
If you fast forward four years, you’d see a whole different story between Karl and Josie. They are now married. Their friends say they are great for each other. Where Josie is an intelligent but anxious Certified Public Accountant, Karl is her opposite. He is a fun-loving second grade teacher, who enjoys making Josie smile. It seems that Josie’s “thorn in the flesh” Karl was the best thing that ever happened to her.
God can and does send a “thorn in the flesh” into your life. You may not call that person a friend or marry that person, but you can be sure that he or she is influencing your decisions and actions. The thorn in the flesh of a Christian politician is the reporter who keeps hounding him on his stances. The thorn in the flesh of a pastor is the church treasurer who keeps blocking new programs due to a “lack of funds”. Have you recently had a “thorn in the flesh” sent by God?
The Apostle Paul wrote 2 Corinthians 12:7. In that verse, Paul explained that to “keep him from becoming conceited” because of all his successes, God sent Paul a “thorn in the flesh” to “harass” him. It kept Paul from becoming arrogant and thinking too highly of himself. Paul’s “thorn in the flesh” was a person who certainly thought about doing evil to Paul, but this forced Paul to watch his steps, follow closely God’s vision, and keep faithful to the gospel. Essentially, the closeness of this “thorn in the flesh” kept Paul honest to himself and to God. Though the “thorn in the flesh” maybe desired to hurt Paul, instead God used that person to keep Paul on the straight and narrow road that leads to the Kingdom of God.
Don’t overlook that God may send into your life a person who becomes your bane of existence, a person who is your “thorn in the flesh”. That person may even have evil intent, but it will force you to learn how to be faithful in the presence of evil. That person may seem a bother or a nuisance. It may be that God wants you to learn to help others who are different. You may even think that person is “getting under your skin” in a bad way when instead, he or she is forcing you to learn or grow or develop patience or perseverance.
Scottish preacher, George Matheson had his own “thorn in the flesh” to work through. He lost his eyesight. Not long after, his loss of his eyesight became a very valuable spiritual lesson. He prayed, “My God, I have never thanked You for my thorn. I have thanked You a thousand times for my roses, but not once for my thorn. I have been looking forward to a world where I shall get compensated for my cross, but I have never thought of my cross as itself a present glory. Teach me the value of my thorn.” (From “Our Daily Bread” as found in 10,000 Sermon Illustrations)
“We don’t often thank God for our trials, heartaches, and difficulties. Although we are willing to praise Him for His goodness, we sometimes fail to realize that even adverse circumstances are blessings in disguise.
When we count our blessings, we should include the weaknesses, the hardships, the burdens, and the trials we face. If we do, we might find that God has used our difficulties more than the “good” things to help us grow spiritually. Why is that? Because it is in those difficult places that we discover the sufficiency of His grace. In our trials, we turn to God. As we depend on Him, we find that His strength is made perfect in our weakness (2 Cor. 12:9). Take a moment and think about the way God has led you. When you praise God for your blessings, do you remember to thank Him for the thorns?” ( P.R.V.,
“Our Daily Bread”, Thursday, April 14)