No Pain, No Gain

Imagine spending time with some Christian friends, and the apostle Paul is among them. As you each share your spiritual experiences, someone says, “I remember a time when I sensed God’s presence. It was so real to me.”
The next person says, “I can remember the time God healed me. He did a miracle in my life.”

“What about you, Paul?” another person asks.

“Well, I remember the time I was caught up to Heaven and saw God.”

Can you imagine having an experience like that? When he wrote to the believers in Corinth, Paul talked about having been caught up to the third Heaven into the presence of God (see 2 Corinthians 12:1–4). But Paul wasn’t boasting. He referred to “a thorn in the flesh,” and “a messenger of Satan” that he had been given. We may wonder why the Lord just didn’t take it away. Paul’s answer was, “that the power of Christ may rest upon me” (2 Corinthians 12:9). You see, when the enemy attacks, either we will cave in, or we will cling to the Lord that much tighter. Paul understood that the thorn in his flesh was keeping him dependent upon God and keeping him humble before the Lord.

This is something we need to remember when we look at those whom God is using. They may be under an attack that we can’t see. So instead of envying them or criticizing them, we should be praying for them. Because spiritual leadership has its costs. Paul certainly knew that from experience.