Living with A Thorn in the Flesh
Paul stated in 2 Corinthians 12:7-9 NASB1995
...there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me—to keep me from exalting myself! ... [9] And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you...
I feel I had to live with a “thorn in the flesh” most of life. I was stricken with Polio at an early age. Every time people look at me or treat like a cripple, it took a lot to overcome that stigma. When I was very young, I became very callous to pain since I said to myself “I will never be hurt by other people!” This was another pain I had to bury. I try always to look ahead and not think of myself as crippled and not be bitter. When someone looks at me with “that look” as I walked, in a moment I would refuse to dwell on what people thought of me. That was my burden I carried most of life. Even after I invited Jesus into my life, I did the same; except now I had strength from Jesus, His Word, and from my Christian community. So yes, this was the thorn in my side that was given to me that God allowed the messenger of Satan to inflict upon me. Later in my adult years, I concluded that if I hadn’t had this affliction, I might have been very boastful and proud and got myself into a lot of trouble. I could see that in me. This “thorn in my flesh” helped me to develop a measure of humility and reliance on God to overcome the condition.
Job’s Thorn of Testing Brought Realization of His Pride
The Word says that Job had a severe testing from God to bring out a blind spot he needed to be dealt with – and that was self-righteousness, which is another form of pride. I believe God allowed Satan to bring bad events in Job’s life for his own good to handle the future blessings that God wanted him to have.
I’m not saying every bad thing that happens is for our testing, but God allows them to happen and all of them could be used for His good purpose for our lives if we are willing to accept it.
PPS - Another Thorn for More Humility
During the pandemic I received another “thorn in the flesh” that according to doctors is incurable, and that is PPS. PPS is short for post-polio syndrome. At first it was hard to accept; but now I realized that God wanted to develop more humility and drive out some more pride; since He wants to take me to a higher level and to be prepared to handle the bigger things ahead of me. If you read Ani’s blog about “Reduction”, you will know that I have to cut some activities to balance my strength when it comes to walking and managing fatigue. I have to ask for more help than the independent myself would like to admit. It’s not easy.
Your Thorn is for Your Humility
I’m sure you don’t have polio or PPS as your thorn, but maybe you are dealing with a different kind of thorn in the flesh.
Remember that whatever your thorn in life may be, it often serves a divine purpose to foster humility before God and others. As Scripture teaches us, "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble" (James 4:6). When we embrace humility, we open the door to God's grace and prepare ourselves for the next levels in our spiritual journey.
Practicing Humility
At my work, I deal with talented people who are godly, kind, skillful, responsible, and highly functioning. These are all good, except, when it comes to discussing and listening, we (yes, I’m including myself) are not so humble. Each one of us wants to dominate the conversation and interrupt. So, we made a pact to practice humility.
One practical way to cultivate humility is through the simple act of listening—truly listening—without interruption. When we interrupt, we often subconsciously assert that our voice is more important than the speaker's. Practicing restraint shows respect and values the perspectives of others, which is a foundational element of humility.
Humility Begets Unity, and Unity Begets Blessings
Humility is the glue that binds us together in unity, and it's in unity where God commands a blessing like Psalm 133 says. Just as research shows that two horses pulling together can do far more than the sum of their individual efforts, Scripture also emphasizes the exponential power of united effort: "One will chase a thousand, and two will put ten thousand to flight" (Deuteronomy 32:30).
With my closest colleagues, we say “RESET” when we argue and have a conflict with one another. Can we all practice humility in all our relationships? When conflicts arise, be humble to be the first to take the initiative to apologize. Reset can restore and strengthen unity.
The 50 Fruits of Pride
To further explore personal areas of pride, I encourage you to review the provided PDF of a very helpful list of "50 Fruits of Pride." It's a tool for self-examination, helping identify any traits of pride that may be hindering your spiritual growth. As we identify and confess to the Lord these traits, we open ourselves up to transformative grace. Being in the community of accountability like what I have with my office group and my church cell group also helps.
The Fifty Fruits of Pride by Brent Detwiler1. Want to be Well Known or Important (Isaiah 14:13-15; James 3:13-16; Romans 12:6) · “I am selfishly ambitious. I really want to get ahead and make a name for myself. I want to be someone important in life. I like having a position or title. I far prefer leading to following.” 2. Sinfully Competitive · “I am overly competitive. I always want to win or come out on top and it bothers me when I don‟t.” 3. Want to Impress People (Luke 10:38-42) · “I want people to be impressed with me. I like to make my accomplishments known.”4. Like to Talk About Myself · “I like to talk, especially about myself or persons or things I am involved with. I want people to know what I am doing or thinking. I would rather speak than listen. I have a hard time being succinct.” 5. Desire Recognition and Praise (John 5:41-44; Matthew 6:1, 23:5-7) · “I desire to receive recognition and credit for what I do. I like people to see what I do and let me know that they noticed. I feel hurt or offended when they don‟t. I am overly concerned about my reputation and hate being misunderstood.”These are just 5 out of the 50. Check out the list! If you don’t think you need it, that might be a sign of pride. (Just saying.)
I’m a Work-in-Progress
Like many, I am a work-in-progress when it comes to humility. I continue to pray for the removal of my thorn, yet I also recognize the necessity of embracing God's refinement. Christ Himself set the ultimate example of humility, laying aside His Deity and came to earth to serve as a lowly human, and choosing obedience and service to the Father, over status or esteem (Philippians 2:3-11). As we strive to emulate Christ's humility, we too can grow in grace and godliness, drawing ever closer to the heart of God.I don’t know if you are struggling with God in this area. I hope what I have shared will encourage you.
Love in Jesus,
Dave
I also want to scan the 50 Fruits of Pride for myself too.
Thank you, David. I want to read the 50 effects of pride to scan myself.
I saw some of the bigotry that affected you in high school. You responded with grace, doing what you were able and letting yourself receive help for the benefit of the team in baseball. I expect that you have lived more of your life that way.