..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…Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave 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 of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. (2 Corinthians 12:7-9, ESV)
Do you have persistent weaknesses in your game? Perhaps it’s putting! Maybe it’s your long irons? Maybe your short game has cost you more strokes than you admit.
We all have areas of deficiencies in our games. And we all certainly have weaknesses in our lives. Until “that day,” when Jesus returns and makes all things new, we will struggle with various issues.As I reflected on these familiar verses, I was reminded how counter-intuitive and countercultural these truths are. If anyone had a resume to boast about, it was the apostle Paul. Paul was a learned and credentialed Jewish scholar at the top of his class.
Yet, upon his conversion to Christ and the Holy Spirit’s anointing, he claims no grounds for boasting in anything he’s done or said since that transformation.
Greater still, he rejoices in “a thorn in the flesh” that inflicts him every day! Why? Because he has come to realize that it’s God’s way of keeping him humble, and as a result, God can use him.
He had learned that neither his pedigree nor any boasting in his accomplishments could provide the proper virtues for Christ to manifest his power. Tragically, this is what the secular world tells us we should say, “Look at me, look at what I’ve done; you need to hear what I have to say.” Paul reminds us that God-honoring influence is rooted in humility.
And how did God keep Paul humble? With a “messenger sent from Satan to harass him”(2 Cor. 12:7b). Although Paul asked three times for God to remove it, God responded with, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
Said more simply, God blesses us by providing daily and sufficient grace to handle any hardships that come our way. Paul not only refuses to bemoan these hardships; he boasts about his weaknesses because they provided opportunities for God’s power to “rest upon him.”
Do you have a “thorn?” I know I do! Can we praise God for it and allow Him to use it to keep us humble and, thus, in a better position to serve him and others? That’s what I want!
As I was meditating on these verses, I thought of my former boss at Chick-fil-A, Truett Cathy. He was one of the most humble, wise, and authentic leaders I’ve ever met! He had a “thorn;” he stuttered in his speech his entire life.
However, he was a prince of persuasion! He was a master of getting an idea or principle across? He was the man God chose to build a corporate culture that became the soul of one of America’s most influential brands and an amazing place to allow me and thousands of others to exercise their God-given gifts.
Have a “thorn?” Can you rest in God’s grace to keep you humble and useful to Him? People are looking for humble, authentic leaders and genuine friendships. Spirit-inspired humility is the much-needed and long-overdue virtue for which corporate America longs. Let’s follow Paul’s example.
Jesus, teach us to trust that “your power is perfected in our weakness.”