Thorn Messengers

Common Sense Commentary: "And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations (God has given me) there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure"  2Cor.12:7.  The Apostle Paul had been given a fantastic revelation of heaven and had been used of God to do marvelous things.  He was subject, therefore, to not only be proud within himself but exalted by other Christians for what God had done. So God let Satan touch his flesh, to bring him down a notch or two, as he did with our friend Job. I think that is why Paul said, "That no man should be moved by these afflictions: for yourselves know that we are appointed thereto."  1Thess.3:3.  There must be many such "thorns" given us to keep us humble, repentant, and submissive to God.  Things like poor vision, bodily dysfunction, untrue slander, sickness, pain, physical impairment and so on.

During my 60 years of ministering to and counseling people, I heard just about everything you can possibly imagine.  My wife will tell you, I never discussed people's confidential matters with her. That would not only be unethical but also unkind to her.  She had our six children, church services, weddings, and baby showers to attend plus ME to keep her life overflowing .  Of all the amazing things I heard, in private, over many years, one which was more common than you might think, and which always puzzled me, was a kind of mental phenomenon which was causing the person to reject people in general. Their problem seemed akin to anorexia, bulimia or "fatphobia"... if there were such a word. I have a bit of the latter myself ... not that it keeps me from over indulging at the table.
The phobia I was referring to is when a person develops a revulsion to common, daily, human, bodily functions ... which everyone has ... equally; but which some people seem to be in denial of as a normal,
inescapable condition. "Bodily functions" are not one of my favorite subjects, and I really have an aversion to those who use bathroom and bedroom language as a substitute for conversation.

My point is, if you have any of these biological, body image distortions, please remember that God created us exactly as He wanted us to be, for His own reasons.  I think He "built in" some features and functions of our bodies to slap us in the face with when we get full of ourselves and start feeling self-righteous, superior and prideful.  As David said in Psm.119:67, "Before I was afflicted  I went astray; but now have I kept thy word."  Also, in Hebrews 12:11 says, "Now no chastening for the present
seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless, afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby." I like that, "exercised thereby" phrase.

When we become so vain, proud, self-righteous, or superior to others, we are also in denial of our own secret failures, sins, and built in, human odiousness.  That is to belie a human common denominator that should keep us all humble as God intended us to be. We are what we are...human ... all of us.
Such "holier than thou, wonderful me measly you" attitudes, especially in Christians and more especially in Preachers will, in time, hit the brick wall of reality and leave a big pile of smelly mud where vanity was.

God has given me enough thorns to moderate the worst of cases.  It seems that every time I have an attack of viral superiority, God gives me a "thorn messenger" dream.  It comes in various scenes.  One is, I lie naked, dirty, hungry,  helpless and freezing on a blazing battlefield and wake up shivering.  Another is, I arrive in the pulpit ... having forgotten to cloth myself. There I stand, on the platform, bible in hand, before the TV world and the congregation ... naked  or in my underclothes. Yes, my memory IS failing but, not quite that bad... I hope.  My primary concern is not with my "thorn messenger" detractors and critics but with myself.  "Lord, send the thorns, even those from Satan, if that is what it takes to make me humble, submissive to your will and to care about others."

Pass it on. RB