Often times in life, I am reminded that it is not the big things of life that drag me down, but the little things. Oh, there are big struggles in life. International affairs, Cultural issues, Societal concerns, National politics, and tyrannical local government just to name a few of the larger issues that you would think would get us down and crush our spirits. But often times, this is not the case. I am reminded of what the Apostle Paul says in 2 Corinthians 12:7–10.

“[7] So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. [8] Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. [9] 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 of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. [10] For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (ESV)

In this case, we really do not know what Paul is referring to as his thorn. The Bible and Paul simply does not tell us. But we can correctly assume that it is a persistent affliction that challenged him. Most commendations agree that it is likely a chronic health issue or perhaps an emotional issue or maybe even spiritual opposition. Again we do not know for certain, but we do know that it persisted in challenging Paul to the point of him asking God to remove it from him.

But God did not remove it from him. We can all understand this prayer. We all have these little things in our lives like a thorn or a pebble in our shoe or an eye lash in our eye that we just cannot seem to remove. May be we have a Chronic ailment. Maybe it is money troubles or relationship issues or just the weight of daily life that tries to drag us down. Sometimes it is all of the above.

But like Paul, we need to remember that it is not our afflictions that determine who we are, but how we react to them. Contrary to what we thought when we were young, we cannot really change the world and the is much in life that just is what it is and there is nothing that we can really do about it except to endure.

And remember that God’s grace is sufficient even for me, that we must keep going and doing the best that we can in our weakness and that we ultimately have to rely upon the grace of God to get us through not just the day, but sometime moment by moment. Just like Paul, we are to remember that in our weakness, the power of Christ is made even greater because it removes us as the source and arbiter of the out come. In our weakness, the greatness and wonder and magnitude of the almighty of Christ is made clear to all.

Friends, I do not know what your thorn is any more than you know mine. But whatever it is, let us stand together in the grace of God knowing that it is sufficient for all and let us now look at the thorns in our life without despair, but instead look at them in the light of Christ and as opportunities in our weakness to show the world who Christ is and what he has done for us.