7 So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations,[a] a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave 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 of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. (1 Corinthians 12:7-9 ESV)
God does not always remove our thorns. Like Paul, we may find that God is allowing a certain condition to persist to keep us humble. He knows that without it we would become even more self-centered and prideful. Paul had already proven this prior to Christ crucification. Paul was strong, so God needed to weaken him a bit.
We may not feel this kind of treatment from God is just. Why would a loving God allow something negative to persist in our lives, especially something from the enemy? Well, it may be far better that we persist with a thorn than to be separated from God by our pride.
God’s grace is sufficient for everything in our lives, even when we might feel that it is not. Everything that comes in our lives is allowed to do so by God. We may not want to think about God in this way, but it is how He works. When we are facing something that is persistent in our lives we need to ask ourselves why God is allowing it. Is it something He is trying to change in our lives or is it to keep us from being too self-centered and prideful?
