Living Understanding, Pt 40: Trust Him
2Corinthians 12:7b-10 Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9But 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. 10That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
Philippians 4:12-13 12I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13I can do all this through him who gives me strength.
Numbers 33:55 55“‘But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land, those you allow to remain will become barbs in your eyes and thorns in your sides. They will give you trouble in the land where you will live…’
Thorn in the flesh
I suppose every human being, at one time or the other, has had that nagging, irritating thing which seems to completely distract or otherwise interfere with daily activity. Just such a thing was in Paul’s life, here called a thorn. Whether or not it was an actual thorn, like a splinter, or a persistent illness, or even some kind of oppression, is unimportant, because the real intent of the verse is to bring up the question— “What do we do with such irritations? Why are they there in our lives?”
When faced with such things, we often gripe or complain, seek out the doctor, or pursue homeopathic remedies. This is not Paul’s course of action. He assumed the irritation was there for a reason, permitted by God, even if the immediate instigator was Satan. It has been said that where there is sunlight there also is shadow and in both is to be found some kind of illumination. Paul was in danger of succumbing to pride. He was, after all, a great minister of the Word, a champion of Christ, and had participated in the physical and spiritual restoration of many a person. He recognized from the get-go that his thorn was a doorway to spiritual wellness, that it prevented him from succumbing to sin. Here, the shadow of the thorn, the potential negative influence, underscores Paul’s need to keep his mind on Jesus, the perfector of his faith (see Hebrews 12:1-2).
Perfect in weakness
But Jesus’ answer to Paul’s cry for release is perplexing. What the heck does “my power is made perfect in weakness” mean? I tend to assume the worst result in any situation. I lay in bed in the small hours fussing, fuming, worrying, and stressing, and the usual result is that the worst result almost never happens. In those small hours, when I finally realize I’m not helping and give up my worrying, then the quiet acceptance comes, and things seem to work out all right. This is a human example illustrating a Godly principle: We know that Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Light (John 14:6). That means He is our guide and instructor in everything, in every difficulty, and every decision. Worrying about stuff doesn’t help. Trusting in Jesus does. Why?
The answer is simple in principle, but difficult in practice. We know there is little we can ultimately do to impact a situation, but knowing is different than doing. We are trained all our lives to do what is necessary to solve a problem, but we often fail to understand that often the best situation is to do nothing. Jesus will work things out, but we have to let him. After all, we were created with free will, and God won’t interfere with our free will, which means that often we just get in the way. How many times have we seen some apparently bad thing happen, then later realize that it was for the best anyway?
This is what perfect in weakness means: We must accept that God knows the right answer, the correct decision, and the proper response. But if we are gripping and complaining, the cacophony of our voice blocks out the sweet sound of God’s voice. We must be quiet and listen for His answer. But remember, God speaks to us in a variety of ways, including our own intuition, skill set, and discernment. So, on balance, the thing to do is the best we can do, and then if that is insufficient for the situation to trust that God will bring resolution.
Delight….in difficulties
Paul had learned this lesson. He was willing to let difficulties happen. He didn’t welcome them but recognized that they served a useful purpose. At the very least they drew him into God’s presence, and his willingness to let things play out was a way for God to demonstrate his love for Paul in very real ways.
What about me?
Here’s where the rubber meets the road in our faith walk with Jesus. On that wonderful day, maybe long ago, when we first came to know Jesus as our Savior, our eternal life with him was sealed forever. But the ensuing years of our lives are filled with opportunities to engage with Him in very real ways as we learn what salvation means in our everyday walk. Do we love Him or not? Do we love Him when times are easy but not so much when they are not? Do we trust Jesus when we are at church, but trust ourselves more when we are at work?
These are painful questions to ask oneself, but in the asking is the realization that God is, after all, actually in charge. We just need to let Him. There will always be difficult times. That is the nature of life. But the handling of those difficult times is the testimony of one’s maturity in Christ. This is a difficult lesson; one I’ve only recently come to know, so don’t beat yourself up too much over this.
I saw an advertisement for a T-shirt the other day which said, “The reason I’m old and wise now is because God protected me when I was young and stupid.” I’m also aware that the only time we stop learning is when we are dead (at least in the earthly sense). Let’s just choose, today, to change the way we live, and actually trust Jesus in our everyday lives. Oh, Lord, let it be so!