The Thorn in Your Side

There are things that we all struggle with that don't seem to go away no matter what we do. For me, it's fear and anxiety. I struggle with these things daily, and there have been times that I've felt completely crippled by the manic thoughts and devastating scenarios that have flashed through my mind. I often find myself frustrated  - I fully believe that God is able and willing to deliver me, so why hasn't He? For you it may not be fear, but something else. Maybe you struggle with lust, anger, or pride. Maybe its not a sin, but some other weakness - desperation for a relationship, low self worth, or depression.  In 2 Corinthians, the apostle Paul tells us that we're not alone in struggling with things that won't go away. He says:

"To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly

 great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my side, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 

Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 

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."

A thorn in our side -I believe that we all have one. Something that God doesn't deliver us from (at least for a time) that seems to hinder us. I believe that our thorns will make or break our relationship with God because they present us with a choice. We can let the thorn fester until our heart grows cold, we doubt God, and we turn away from Him - either resenting Him for letting the thorn stay in us or cutting Him out in favor of figuring things out for ourselves. Or we can choose the life-giving option, which is to let our thorns push us closer to God and show us our need for Him. Our thorns are put in place to teach us how to be dependent on God, desperate for His grace, and reliant on His power instead of our own. But we won't learn these things if we choose to let our frustrations push us away from God instead of toward Him.

For the longest time I turned away from God because of my fear. I grew to distrust Him and closed off in an attempt to protect myself. But then I learned how to cry out to God in that fear, and as I poured my heart out to Him in desperation, He filled me with a peace that surpassed all understanding. God took the thing that could have led to my destruction and used it to teach me how to need Him and experience His goodness in my weakness - but He was only able to do that once I came to Him for help and allowed Him in.

These thorns are not cruel unless we allow them to be. Are you allowing yours to teach you or hinder you? Are you holding things against God or asking Him to help you with them? Are you resenting God for allowing something in your life that you don't understand or are you trusting that He is perfect in all of His ways? I pray today that if you're running away from God, you'll stop. I pray that you'll find rest in His capability today and strength in His goodness. Chin up! You were never meant to be perfect. So give over those imperfections to the One who can turn them into something beautiful.