It’s become commonplace in many Christian circles to believe that God sometimes allows hardships in our lives in order to teach us something. Many will even quote 2 Corinthians 12 (where Paul discusses his “thorn in the flesh,” as PROOF that God allows suffering in order to bring about something good in us.

Throughout Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, however, he outlines many of the difficulties he experienced in his tireless effort to bring the Gospel to them, yet not one time did he insinuate, or claim that God was inflicting this hardship on him or his companions. Take a look at 2 Corinthians 6;

4 Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; 5 in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; 6 in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; 7 in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; 8 through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; 9 known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; 10 sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything. (vs. 4-10)

In all of these examples, it’s clear that Paul’s difficulties weren’t as a result of God’s sovereign activity in his life, rather, they were simply the natural challenges he faced as he sought to make Christ’s message known among the Gentiles.

In fact, for every negative circumstance that Paul underwent, he contrasted it with the supernatural power that God provided him to overcome.

• When Paul was sorrowful, God gave him supernatural ability to rejoice.

• When Paul was dishonored, God glorified him.

• When Paul felt like he was dead, he kept on living.

• When he was beaten, he wasn’t killed.

• When he felt like he had nothing left in the physical world, spiritually, he knew he possessed everything.

 It’s critical when we read stories like Paul’s “thorn in the flesh,” that we not only read the passage in context, but that we considered the message of the entire book, the entirety of the life of the one who penned the words, and the culmination of God’s nature and character expressed through Jesus.

• If God wanted us all to suffer, why did he send Jesus to destroy the works of the enemy? (1 John 3:8)

• If God wanted us to learn from challenging circumstances, why did he deliver us from the power of sin and death? (Romans 7:24)

• If God used sickness to teach people lessons, why did Jesus customarily heal all who were sick? (Matthew 4:23; Luke 4:40)

With just a simple survey of these topics, one must at least consider that the doctrine of God’s extreme sovereignty has some serious flaws.

Lucky for us, Paul tells us exactly what his “thorn in the flesh was,” – “a messenger of Satan” (2 Corinthians 12:7), and that this messenger was sent to keep Paul from being “conceited.”

The word in the original language for “conceited,” is actually “to be exalted.” Remember, there is an exultation that can happen from God toward man when we’re actually humble before the Lord (Numbers 12:3, 1 Peter 5:6, James 4:10). And certainly, Paul’s exultation by God more closely describes how we see Paul operate throughout the entire New Testament. Paul even said himself, that although he had reason to have such confidence in the flesh, that whatever could have been gained by boasting in himself was now just a loss (Philippians 3:3-9).

You see, Paul’s nature and demeanor from the moment he met Christ, and I believe throughout his entire ministry, was one of utter humility, which is why God elevated him and he received such “surpassingly great revelations” of the Gospel. Then, because of this supernatural exultation by God, Satan sent a messenger to Paul to frustrate his ministry, and attempt to make his message ineffectual.

When Paul eventually asks God to “take it away from [him],” (v.8) God lovingly responded with probably the most profound statement of all – “My grace is sufficient for you” (v. 9).

Did God’s response mean he didn’t care what Paul was going through? Did it mean that God refused to deliver Paul so he could suffer long enough to learn his lesson? Was this just God’s way of appeasing Paul until his suffering ran its course?

No.

God was simply reminding Paul, that he already possessed the grace (God’s power – Romans 1:16), to overcome every onslaught of the enemy. When Paul finally realized (it took him three times to understand!) what God was saying to him, he concluded his remarks to the Corinthians with these sentiments, “Therefore I will boast all the more gladly in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest on me…For when I am weak, then I am strong” (v. 9-10).