8 Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. 9 Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.
2 Corinthians 12:8-9
Have you ever wondered what Paul struggled with? Defined as a “thorn in his flesh”, one that was given purposefully to trouble him, and one meant to keep him from being arrogant. Ouch! Read the verses again, don’t miss how Paul handled the maddening trouble (7). Verse 8 says that on three different occasions he prayed – begging the Lord to take it away from him. Paul was both confident and persistent and yet the answer was continuously ‘no’. Why? Because God knew that the effect of the trouble would cause Paul to see his own weakness and depend on God’s strength. God’s plan was never for Paul, or us for that matter, to think of ourselves as self sufficient but rather to be dependent on God’s all-sufficient grace
Therefore, so that I would not become arrogant, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to trouble me—so that I would not become arrogant.
2 Corinthians `12:7
When we see our own weaknesses and in turn realize the need for and sufficiency of our God, we will understand the futility of bragging about our strengths and instead we will find ourselves seeking God, trusting in Him, and praising Him. As Paul says, we will boast all the more about our weaknesses so that the power of Christ might be seen in us. To this end we should all live – that Christ be glorified in us.
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