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Verse:
7 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. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from 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 about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 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.
What it reveals:
The thorn of pride hindered me in more ways than one. It limited my ability to seek help; it heightened my offense spectrum, which ultimately stunted my growth. Being prideful, you never really feel comfortable asking for help, and you always want to prove that you can do this on your own; this mentality is unhealthy and self-fulfilling. While I tried to do everything on my own, I also was easily offended. My ego would be bruised if I wasn't able to get my way or if I thought someone was trying to undermine me in any way. Carrying on this way stunted my growth. But, here's where the weakness became an opportunity for God to help me.
As I came into wanting to be more like Christ (Romans 12:1-2) I was able to recognize my weaknesses and call out the flaws that weren't aligned with the fruits of the spirit (humility), and in that, God's grace was able to carry me through the weakness. The thorn of pride is still in my side; it just doesn't have power over me like it used to. Once I can call out my thorns and give it a name, I can actively take it to the Lord in prayer and plead with Him just as Paul did. If we didn't, we would still be weak, but it's in our weaknesses that we can find strength. What we can take into prayer, the enemy can not have power over because the power of Christ indeed rests on us, and it is that power that gives us strength and the ability to come against what wants to keep us in bondage.
Prayer:
Lord, thank you for your grace that is sufficient enough for me. Thank you because I can boast in my weakness, knowing that your power overcomes it all with strength. Lord, give me the ability to acknowledge the thorns that have been trying to take hold of me. Please help me call them out relentlessly, and as I do so, I receive your power of grace that is stronger and more sufficient than any thorn. Thank you because there is control over the thorns. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Song of the week: