Thorns & Joy: Coexisting For God’s Glory
Even in the midst of life’s deepest pains, God’s grace is sufficient, and true joy is found in His presence.
“Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
2 Cor 12:8-9
Several years ago, I was on the planning team for a ladies’ conference themed around the idea of “Joy.” One of my contributions to that event was written scripts personifying things that often rob us of joy. I called them the “Joy Thieves.”
To be quite honest, I disliked them while writing them, and even more so when I watched them come to life on the stage. They haunted me- piercing my heart with both conviction and disdain.
Joy Thieves
These thieves were not foreign characters. They have existed since the Fall and have always been clever and crafty. My original scripts of these adversaries to joy included Pride, Envy, Unforgiveness, Fear, Busyness, Complacency, Sin, and Wolves. But as I was writing, I realized I was missing a “thief.” This thief was the one Paul mentioned in 2 Corinthians 12:7 – the thorn in his flesh. So, I created her at the last minute- just days before the conference.
As I watched the “thieves” perform their narratives I noticed the familiar hints of dislike, uncomfortable moments of spoken truth, and several outbursts of laughter. But the thief that had women nodding their heads in agreement, breaking down in tears, and bowing their heads to pray was “Thorns.” She was the one that pierced the depths of their souls – the one every lady in that conference identified with.
Painful Thorns
Unlike the other thieves, “thorns” are not the things we cause and control. They happen to us and include the burdens we carry and the crosses we bear. They are what Jesus referred to in John 16:33 when he said, “In this world, you will have trouble…”
Some of these “thorns” include chronic pain, unexpected loss, broken relationships, prodigal children, betrayal, declining health, disease, miscarriage, and mental illnesses. Quite simply, “thorns” are instruments of pain.
If someone had told me ten years ago about the trials I’d endure this decade, I’ve no doubt I would have had my Garden of Gethsemane moment, begging and pleading with God to take them away. Even now, looking back, I’d like to extract several of those “thorns.”
I would like my dad and father-in-law to still be here with us on this side of heaven. I would like to remove the pain a tragic accident that robbed my daughter of her best friend and took a beloved child from her parents. I’d like to not spend every few months with an oncologist, reviewing the cancer markers in my husband’s bone marrow. I’m sure we all have thorns we’d like removed and, like Paul, have cried out to God multiple times to take away the pain they cause.
God’s Grace
Yet, when Paul begged God to remove the thorn in his flesh, God chose instead to redirect Paul’s thoughts to what may have seemed like an impossible truth: “My grace is sufficient for you.”
God knew it was better for Paul to endure something painful than to forget that His grace was all he needed.
We’ll never know exactly what that “thorn” was, but we do know it was given to Paul for a purpose, and all the pleading in the world did not cause God to remove it. Instead, God met Paul in his pain, strengthened him in his weakness, and sustained him daily by His grace.
My begging and pleading with God has sometimes resulted in His removal of certain thorns, but not always. As much as I dislike the pain, I can honestly say I’ve shared some of my sweetest moments in God’s presence when those “thorns” were piercing my heart.
“Thorns” come through events beyond our control, but the one thing we can always control is how we respond to them – who we choose to run to in the pain, whom we trust through the storms, and whom we cling to when this life hurts.
In His Presence
My favorite character from that conference was not a thief, but “Joy.” She ended the conference by bursting into song. But before she did, she revealed a surprising truth: she is evasive and cannot be found if she is the goal. However, if we intentionally choose to delight in Jesus Christ, the natural overflow of a life spent knowing and loving him is joy. In his presence, there is fullness of joy, even if that joy is coupled with thorns.
In Your Life
What are the things that threaten to steal your joy?
How can intentional time in God’s Word, prayer, and fellowship with other believers help sustain you when life hurts?
We Recommend
Dr. W. Lee Warren’s book Hope is the First Dose: A Treatment Plan for Recovering from Trauma, Tragedy, and Other Massive Things. This touching book chronicles Dr. Warren’s journey through recovery after the unexpected death of his son. It includes practical steps to help you walk through grief and learn to live with abundant joy again.
Delighting in Jesus: Rhythms to Restore Joy When you Feel Burdened, Broken or Burned-Out by Asheritah Ciuciu. Asheritah’s book reminds us that God delights in us and created us to delight in Him. This beautifully written book provides rhythms to restore joy in Jesus by delighting in His presence.
Let’s Connect
Brenda is the Director of Women’s Ministry at her church in Casper, Wyoming. She has a passion for helping women navigate the seasons of life that are both bitter and sweet by knowing the truth found in God’s Word and clinging to Jesus Christ. If you’d like to read more from Brenda, you can find her at Women of the Way, on Instagram, or on Facebook.