Thorns Under the Rug
"Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, "My gracious favor is all you need. My power works best in your weakness." So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may work through me,. Since I know it is all for Christ's good, I am quite content with my weaknesses and with insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong." II Corinthians 12: 8-10
I imagine the people in the bible. I imagine who they really were as if I knew them and they were a close friend. Some closer than others, of course. Paul, who wrote this section of scripture, I have drawn pictures in my head of his personality, his character, his person. I imagine him as a passionate person, always sold out to his cause. He only knew how to live two ways, with his boat way out to sea or tied to the docks. He passionately stood for the cause of the Jews until he changed and fought the faith of Jesus Christ. Everything he feels, he feels deeply. He coined the phrase in Ephesians 3: 20 "exceedingly abundantly beyond", he couldn't have just said 'a lot' or 'more then'. He was one of passion as he said "for woe is me if I do not preach the gospel (I Cor 9:16)". He is that friend, no matter what is going on in his life, he feels and expresses all of it. Almost to the point of it being too much. But when you are there in the moment with them, it isn't too much. In my head, God picked many of his passionate, dramatic, heart-leading writing in the bible because He wanted that special amount of emphasis to get His point across. That is what I appreciate about Paul.
He felt passionately about this as well and it was a thorn in his side.
Many have stumbled upon this scripture above, and the discussion afterward is more about what "thorn" then what it is saying about God's grace. A lot of theories have been made about Paul's potential physical ailments, problems in ministry, or other personal "thorn". But I am gonna circle more around God's grace. With Paul, his "thorn", in my head, could have been anything. It could have been a common thing that everyone was dealing with. But because of the person that I have imagined him to be, it could be a small problem, it could be something of a dismissive problem. He felt passionately about this as well and it was a thorn in his side. One that he pleaded with the Lord to take away. Because with Paul nothing is small, nothing is not done without passion.
Maybe it is our American way that tells us all that the best thing to do
is hide our weaknesses 'under the rug'.
My thorns, I at times, lay aside and attempt to ignore. I cover up My thorns in a nice Christian box and move on as best I can. My thorn, I struggle many time to bring to the Lord because there is so many other problems out there. There are other things that are more important. I don't want to look at my weaknesses. I don't know very many people that do. Maybe it is our American way that tells us all that the best thing to do is hide our weaknesses 'under the rug'. But to see God's power work best. To admit my weaknesses to my God, Immanuel, God with us. Who is willing and eager to show Christ's goodness through my weaknesses. Stuffing my weaknesses under the rug isn't such a great idea after all.
I want to see the power of Christ in my weaknesses.
I want to see the power of Christ in my weaknesses. I want to see something that is a life's trouble turned to Christ's goodness. I want to see God strong in my life, in my family, in my surrounding, in my world. This is the grace of God. This is the beauty of all that Christ's done for us. He has the power to do it for us, no matter what else God has on His plate. Even if I could still go on with life carrying it around. Christ can take it in His power by His grace. And that is a place I want to stay and be.
