July 8

“That I, Paul, might not become too elated, because of the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, an angel of Satan, to beat me, to keep me from being too elated. Three times I begged the Lord about this, that it might leave me, but He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.”

These words from scripture are some of my very favorite lines. And here’s why:

I often talk with others about their crosses and the sins they struggle with, including their root sins. Paul reminds us that just because we have a propensity to do something doesn’t mean we should. I think we often feel as if we are the only ones who struggle with sin; and for each of us, those sins are specific and usually point to an underlying root. Sins of pride, vanity, and sensuality can often vary, yet sometimes, they overlap.

Here, though, we are reminded that God may not take that disordered desire for sin away; BUT He will give us the grace to endure. In fact, He will never let anything tempt us without the perfect amount of grace to overcome. Indeed, if He doesn’t take it away, it isn’t because you should submit to that desire; it’s because He is calling you closer to Him and allowing you to see your wretchedness without Him. What does He want you to learn? How is He drawing you closer to Him through it?

Tonight, spend some time with God. Ask Him to remove all sin from your life (and go to Confession if you need to this week). If a desire remains that doesn’t point to Him, ask Him for the grace to overcome. He will provide. “Ask and you shall receive, seek and you shall find, knock and the door shall be opened to you.”