“So to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud.”
~ he Apostle Paul | 2 Corinthians 12:7 (NLT)

Everybody Has One, What’s Yours?

During my devotional time a couple of weeks ago, while praying for a number of people close to me, I realized that I was always praying for the same things for each of them. For some, I’ve prayed for a breakthrough for many years. Yet their “thorn” flares up over and over like clockwork, disrupting every part of their lives. Sure, each time the pain takes on a different flavor on the surface, but when you dig down, it always leads to the same root… their thorn.

God has not spared me either. My thorn flares up regularly as it attempts to send me reeling once again.

“Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, ‘My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.’”
The Apostle Paul | 2 Corinthians 12:8-9 (NLT)

I admire Paul for only praying three times for his thorn to be taken away. I’ve prayed hundreds of times for relief… I’m a slow learner!

We all have a thorn, that deep wound at the root of so much of our struggle. What’s yours?

Throw Your Boomerang

Perhaps it would be worth your while to search and identify your thorn. It’s been helpful for me, shedding light on so much of my struggle. Knowing my thorn has helped me gain great insight into my journey. In fact, it has become the driver of my Life Mission.

I used to think I’d do just about anything to get rid of my thorn and end the havoc it causes in my soul. Now I have come to embrace it. When it flares up, I quickly spot it, drop my resistance and let God carry me through it. It’s painful, yes! But it always passes, and much more quickly than when I used to fight it.

They say, “Don’t waste your pain.” I get this now, but I’ve found that it’s a bit funny how this works.

“The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.”
Proverbs 11:25 (NLT)

God’s laws of sowing and reaping hold true, but they are full of irony. You want more of something? Give what you have away. I like to refer to this as “The Boomerang” …the pursuer throws it at his target and it circles back to them. Magical!

We can’t find peace with our thorn without turning the pain around to refresh others… in other words, throw Your Boomerang.

“Lord Help!”

It’s a strange phenomenon to embrace your thorn. When you accept that God will not remove it, you find yourself at a crossroads. “Do I keep fighting it or do I finally surrender and leave it for God to deal with?” This is no easy fight. Surrendering your thorn to God is unnatural, a foreign concept. We hate the idea… There has to be a way out, right?

In the case of your thorn there’s not. God wants you to have it! He told Paul, no… “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” God likes to display his grace and power in your life and your thorn is his platform to do this.

When will you reach the point of surrendering your thorn?

“Some sat in darkness and deepest gloom, imprisoned in iron chains of misery. They rebelled against the words of God, scorning the counsel of the Most High. That is why he broke them with hard labor; they fell, and no one was there to help them. “Lord, help!” they cried in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. He led them from the darkness and deepest gloom; he snapped their chains. Let them praise the Lord for his great love and for the wonderful things he has done for them. For he broke down their prison gates of bronze; he cut apart their bars of iron.”
Psalm 107:10-16 (NLT)

“Lord, Help! I don’t want to live my life like this anymore!” These are the telltale words of surrender and the words that open the door to God’s grace and power. Along with this comes a sense of freedom. Having surrendered, when your thorn flares up, you can now say, “God, I’ve released this to you.” What a relief!

But there’s more. All that suffering you’ve endured can be put to good use. You are a seasoned expert at what it’s like to live with your particular thorn. Powered by God’s grace and power, you’re in position to throw your boomerang.

“This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.”
The Apostle Paul | Hebrews 4:15-16 (NLT)

Your throw will not miss its target when backed by the one who has faced every possible thorn. Best of all, you will be filled with a fresh dose of his mercy and grace. Can you imagine embracing your thorn now? A beautiful thing indeed!

Make throwing your boomerang your Life Mission, the reason God has you here. Don’t know what your Life Mission is? Find it by taking our free Mini-Course at https://www.missioncurve.com/  These 3 steps will change your life, guaranteed.

Let’s talk.