Living With Thorns
As surely as sparks rise upward from the fire, you and I can count on trouble in our lives. At least, that’s what Job tells us in chapter five, verse seven, of his story, recorded in our Bibles.
I’ve heard it said there are only two things we can count on in this world: death and taxes. I’d like to add a third: trouble. Even if your life is a bed of roses at the moment, you can be certain there are some thorns coming your way.
But the question I want us to answer today is: How do we learn to live with the troubling thorns in our lives?
In his second letter to the disciples of Jesus in the Greek city of Corinth, Paul shares with the believers there about what he refers to as a “thorn in the flesh.” If you take the time to read his story in chapter twelve of that letter, you will discover three things about his thorn experience. I want to look at the first of those things today.
The first thing to be learned from Paul’s thorn experience is what he tells the Corinthians about the reason for his thorn. Paul says God gave him the thorn to keep him humble.
I want to push pause for a moment if I may, because I don’t want anyone to think God is perched on the clouds of heaven, bow in hand, thorn notched, ready to shoot at any of his children when they start to get a little cocky. At the same time, I will tell you that I am confident that God has used some thorns in my life to help me think less highly of myself and more highly of Him!
In my book, “Masterpiece in the Making: Life Lessons for Spiritual Growth,” I tell the story of a former student who attended seminary with me. He left a lucrative law practice to follow God into ministry. Years after we graduated, the two of us bumped into each other. We began sharing about our lives and ministries when, suddenly he paused - “You’ve changed,” he said. “You mean, I’m not the same cocky, arrogant seminarian you used to know?” He smiled. “Yeah, that’s what I meant.”
God is good. In fact, he is so good, he allows some thorns into our lives. He does that to teach us to look up, to realize God alone is our hope and strength.
That’s why Paul says what he does in 2 Corinthians 12:10 - “For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
Jesus has all the strength you need for whatever you are going through now.
In Christ,
Dan