When God Calls a “Time-Out”
I stood frozen by the front door for what seemed like several minutes. I could not move either forward or back as spasms of pain ran down my leg. This flare up from an old soccer injury would put me on my back in the days and months to follow.
The week before, I had felt young and healthy, exercising daily, and pushing full-bore in ministry. Yet now I could barely shuffle across the house or even stand up straight. Once-normal activities like sitting in my study and sleeping at night became increasingly uncomfortable. Medication provided windows of an hour or two for preaching and for ministry, but I had to say, “No,” to many other invitations. The hardest sacrifice of all was not being able to carry my little girl into bed.
But then one sleepless night, as my earthly body crested waves of pain, God pounded his Word into my heart like surf against the shore: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor. 12:9a). That truth, which carried me through the night, has since continued to refresh my soul in many ways.
The Power of Prayer. Paul’s “thorn in the flesh” is broad enough to reflect the various kinds of trials we face today: physical ailments, human antagonists, and spiritual oppressors. Although afflicted by “a messenger of Satan” (v. 7), Paul trusts God’s all-sufficient power to triumph in any battle (v. 9). Even when he does not answer as we want, our King remains stronger than all our enemies. Thus, Paul’s thorn drives him to repeatedly rely on his sovereign Savior (v. 8).
During many restless nights, I too began to realize my earnest need for Christ. In pride, I had been trying everything else but prayer, so the Lord kept working on my heart before he would change my situation. Prayer acknowledged my need for help and has made me lie down in the pastures of Christ.
The Lesson of Humility. Twice in verse 7 Paul explains how God had given him a thorn to keep him from conceit. The apostle had received tremendous ministry success and even divine revelation. Yet to keep him from growing proud, this weakness brings him to his knees. So instead of boasting in himself, he will boast only in Christ’s power to persevere (v. 9b).
During my forced retreat, I’ve had to humbly back out of certain ministry commitments. I’ve needed help from others for simple tasks like driving and lifting furniture. My limits have revealed my human frailties, the importance of bodily rest, and the value of training up new leaders. My finite abilities have also prodded me toward the infinite, eternal God who alone can heal my grumbling and despairing heart. Only when I am weak, will Christ make me strong.
The Sufficiency of Grace. The Lord then assures his beloved apostle: “My grace is sufficient for you” (v. 9a). Paul knows this to be true because God’s grace had turned a former persecutor of the church into a gospel preacher. Paul had drawn from this well time and time again and had never departed empty.
So also, Christ’s all-sufficient grace, which once saved my soul, has continued to sanctify me. This thorn in my flesh has led to healing in my spirit as, during many early mornings, I have found refreshment in the refrain of the psalms: his power in my weakness, his grace for my need.
The Joy of Contentment. Paul concludes, “For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (v. 10). The apostle accepts his trials as from the Lord to showcase Christ. His contentment does not mean he has given up, but rather it exudes a patient trust that God works out all things for his glory and for our good (Rom. 8:28).
I am still learning how to be content in any and every circumstance and to rejoice in the midst of trials (Phil. 4:11–13; James 1:2–4). So the Lord keeps sending thorns to help me practice. I practice gratitude every time I throw a baseball to my boys or twirl my daughter in the air. I’m learning to enjoy the wisdom of God’s time-out and to be content in the One who is my strength.
The Fellowship of Believers. As a minister of the gospel, Paul’s suffering tenderized his soul to the sufferings of others. So he offers comfort to fellow believers in the same manner that Christ has comforted him (2 Cor. 1:3–9). Even when they despair of life, he turns their gaze toward the living God who can raise the dead.
Likewise, in affliction, my compassion has grown for those who deal with chronic pain or debilitating illness daily. Many of these souls have no earthly hope of recovery as they feel their physical bodies fade away. Yet they will share their struggles as I share mine and as we revel in Christ together. In this way, God musters his church to care for the weak and to bestow great honor on those who hurt (1 Cor. 12:22–25).
The Longing for Heaven. Paul’s thorn ultimately points him heavenward until he can claim, “To live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Phil. 1:21). He seeks for satisfaction in Christ alone and not in earthly comfort. His afflictions then become God’s gracious reminders that this life is not all there is (1 John 2:15–17).
The Lord has slowed me down this season to consider life’s lasting joys: bonding with family, saving lost souls, unity in Christ’s body, the beauty of creation, and Christ’s character being formed in me (Rom. 5:3–4). God’s time-out wasn’t in my plans, but I am grateful for the lessons learned (Ps. 119:71). May we all continually cling to Christ even after he removes our thorns.
Tom Sugimura serves as a pastor, church planting mentor, and professor of biblical counseling. He writes at tomsugi.com, ministers the gospel at New Life Church, and hosts the Every Peoples Podcast. He and his wife are raising their four kids in Southern California and share their stories in Hope for New Dads: 40 Days in the Book of Proverbs.