Now, this one is tight.
We’d prefer never to experience loss, ailment, limitation, or deficiency. However, faith, prayer, nor spiritual strength has the capability to free us of every hardship. Some things, we’re stuck with.
Be encouraged. Often times, our painful and difficult experiences are designed to ensure our consistent and unwavering dependence upon God.
The Apostle Paul is a great example of this concept. The Bible records that he prayed to God asking for him to remove a “thorn in the flesh” on multiple occasions.
The Message Bible version of 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 records Paul’s words and God's response, Because of the extravagance of those revelations, and so I wouldn’t get a big head, I was given the gift of a handicap to keep me in constant touch with my limitations. Satan’s angel did his best to get me down; what he in fact did was push me to my knees. No danger then of walking around high and mighty! At first I didn’t think of it as a gift, and begged God to remove it. Three times I did that, and then he told me, “My grace is enough; it’s all you need. My strength comes into its own in your weakness.” Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ’s strength moving in on my weakness. Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size—abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become.
You may not have enough money, enough love, enough sleep, enough fun, or enough faithful friends. But you do have enough grace.
No one can say exactly what Paul’s “thorn in the flesh” was. Some say it was a physical handicap or ailment. We do know that Paul's initial concern was that the limitation had the capacity to reduce his effectiveness in ministry work.
God did not stutter. His response indicated that Paul would keep the limitation and use the weakness as an opportunity to depend more on the strength that comes from God, alone.
Truth is, the ailment helped Paul to remain humble. The limitation reminded Paul that his great work in ministry was not by his own strength but through the power of God.
The same is true for us today. Though our initial response is to pray everything away, God says, “some things must stay”. We must look to God in and through every circumstance. We must take our eyes off of the hardship and focus upon God. Grace is enough.
In my mind the Bible is God's Love Letters to mankind. God's Grace is Enough. Read the Letters.