2 Corinthians 12:6-10

⁶ Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say, 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.

We live in a world where personal strength is idolised. Depending on the accounts you follow, your social media feeds might contain messages that all ultimately trace their genesis in a lie of the Devil that we can do all things under our own strength. Advertising is often also seeded with this train of thought. 

Ultimately, we need to remember that Jesus is better. Under Jesus, we have a king that knows us intimately, is praying for us, and in whom we can trust with our lives. 

In this passage, we read of Paul praying for some sort of affliction to be removed – but then he is reminded that God’s grace is sufficient. It could be inferred that this means Paul has stopped praying for the thorn to be taken away – instead, Paul, by God’s grace, changes his attitude to one of thankfulness in weakness, because that allows God’s power to be even more evident to those interacting with Paul. 

If you’re suffering today, please ask, by God’s Holy Spirit, that you’ll remember that God’s power is made perfect in weakness. 

A song to consider – I’m your servant by the Parachute Band   

Oliver Meehan