We don’t usually see weakness as something good. Most of us try to avoid it, fix it, or hide it. But what if weakness isn’t the problem?

What if it’s the opportunity?

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A Thorn and a Lesson in Grace

In 2 Corinthians 12, Paul shares something intensely personal:

“So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me.”
— 2 Corinthians 12:7–8

Paul had received deep, divine revelation—so much that God allowed a thorn, some form of suffering or affliction, to keep him grounded. He begged God three times to take it away.

Have you ever prayed like that?

“God, please take this from me. I don’t want to feel like this anymore. I don’t want to carry this fear, this pressure, this pain.”

But it stays.

And maybe, just maybe… the weakness isn’t the issue.
Maybe the issue is that we think the goal is to get rid of the thorn instead of learning to rely on God’s grace through it.

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A Thorn Like Ours

We don’t know what Paul’s thorn was—which is actually a gift. It means we can all relate. We each have something—a constant struggle, irritation, fear, or grief—that feels like a thorn in the flesh.

Like my son who once had a tiny sliver in his finger and wanted to slice it open just to get it out, the smallest things can cause the deepest discomfort.

The Bible has a lot to say about thorns. In Genesis 3, thorns appeared as part of the curse when sin entered the world:

“Cursed is the ground because of you… thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you.”
— Genesis 3:17–18

And in Matthew 13, Jesus talks about seeds (the Word of God) sown among thorns:

“…the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.”
— Matthew 13:22

So yes, thorns cause pain. They choke out fruit. They remind us of the fall.

But in Paul’s life, the thorn didn’t produce spiritual death—it produced humility. And that humility created space for grace.

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Weakness as Formation

Paul realized something profound:

“Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
— 2 Corinthians 12:10

That’s upside-down logic to the world. But it’s the Gospel.

The things that we often assume make Christians look weak, broken, or lacking faith—those are often the exact things that God uses to make us strong in faith.

• The thorn kept Paul humble.
• The thorn reminded him he needed grace.
• The thorn protected him from pride.

God doesn’t always remove the thorn. Sometimes, He uses it to reshape us.
Not because He enjoys our pain—but because He wants to form us through it.

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The One Image That Changes Everything

Let me say one more thing before you go:

We all carry internal “hidden tracks”—repeated thoughts and beliefs about ourselves, life, and strength. And often, if I stop long enough to examine them, I notice something:

They’re all about me.

My fears.
My feelings.
My will.
My situation.

But there is one image that interrupts all that:

“The Son is the image of the invisible God… in him all things hold together.”
— Colossians 1:15–17

“The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being… sustaining all things by his powerful word.”
— Hebrews 1:3

Jesus is the image that redefines everything.

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The True Strength

The strength we really need is not something we make, prove, or protect. It’s not self-reliant or defensive.

It’s Jesus.

The sinless, perfect Son of God—Jesus Christ—willingly wore a crown of thorns, taking on the curse of sin, to redeem you.
He took your weakness.
He carried your shame.
And He offers you His strength.

That’s the power of the Gospel.

And that’s what’s offered to you today.

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Reflection Questions:

1. What is the “thorn” in your life right now that you keep begging God to take away?
2. What would it look like to stop resisting it—and instead start relying on God’s grace through it?