The Thorn in My Side

In 2 Corinthians 12:7 Paul talks about a thorn in his flesh.  It’s never identified exactly what that is, as it looks to be a figurative statement, but in the following verses you see that it provides the foundation for his humble nature.  How that speaks to my experience is this:  My thorn is the very thing inside of me where heaven and hell collide.  On the one hand, it is the tender, raw places the enemy uses to make me feel ashamed, weak, unworthy and unforgiven.  On the other hand, it’s the very thing that makes me cry out to God, triumphant in the moments of overcoming and praying for redemption.  It is the thing that claws and scratches and bites at my feet and the very thing that makes me CLING to the Creator’s outstretched hand. 

 

My thorn comes in many forms:  Struggles with healthy living, anger issues and having a more compassionate heart are but three in what I’m sure, if I took the time, would be among a much longer list.   In these struggles I am made fully aware of the demands on my flesh, that I have a sinful nature and that I fall short of extending grace to others.   It is through these thorns that I am reminded, I am not God. 

And I think that’s the point.  Like Paul, I am grateful for the thorn in my side, whatever form it takes.  The thorn in each of our sides is a reminder that we live on a level playing field and that regardless of our gifting or the shape our sins take on or what portion we have been given or how our story plays out, it is these very things that make us united in our HUMANITY and I am DETERMINED to be better than who I’ve been for the sake of it.