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Ever thought about how was it possible for Apostle Paul to serve Christ and at the same time stay humble? If we look at his life and the impact he had on others, we could say that this is the second person after Christ who had a major impact on Church and it's growth. He opened new churches, shared the gospel to everyone who he meet, even the people who are high authority, like the government. And because of what he did, he was tortured, beaten, and put to prison--we also see Christ Himself personally appeared to him and teaching him the doctrines–it is too many things to say about the impact that Paul had on the growth of the church. On the contrary, when we read his letters, we get a perspective of this humble, gentle person who loves people and God. Then the question appears, how can someone do so much for Christ and at the same time stay humble? And this question Paul himself answers as he writes the second letter to Corinthians.
In the letter, Paul states how God surrounds him with circumstances, where those circumstances keep him from slipping in to pride: "For this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me—to keep me from exalting myself!" (12:7). In other words, something else guarded him from being prideful, he says, the thorn in the flesh. God did not only had an interest in using Paul for the growth of the church, but had an interest in how he was ministering. We could see that God kept him humbled by having this thorn in his flesh.
When God speak to Anania, He said: "For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name" (Acts 9:16). In other words, God had a plan for Paul, the plan not only included the influence he would have on the people, but suffering came with it. Jesus says,"For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name" (16).
In Corinthian, Paul later says, "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'" (8-9). Something that he experienced, something that bothered him caused Paul to mention this three times in his prayers. And what was the reason to experience the thorn in the flesh in the first place? "To keep me from exalting myself" as Paul draws the conclusion. Something in his life that was strong enough to keep him from exalting, boasting we could say.
If we look at God and his view on pride and humility, we could see God honor’s humility, and He does that because in that he receives the glory. God through Isaiah says, "But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word" (66:2). In other words, this is who God bless's, speak's, pays attention too. In contrast, God is disgusted when person shows his pride: "Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate" (Proverbs 8:13). People should not only care about their looks and quality of the performance, but the quality of their heart. This is what king Belshazzar was missing. As God said: "'TEKEL '-- you have been weighed on the scales and found deficient" (Dan 5:27), kings heart was rated by God.
But how can someone detect pride; if we look around, every human is prideful to some degree, it just a matter how much that pride reflected in his or her life; how much is that pride seen to those who surround this person. If we look at pride, we could see that it generates from any success that person experiences in his or her life. You could be a professional skater, and because you are a professional skater, you could go around telling everyone how good you are, and at the same time, expect others to respect you for your skills. This is a small example but it has a principle that reflects how pride could be generated behind every success. Any accomplishment that person experiences, could be used to generate and develop a view of himself.
This is why Apostle Paul says that he rather boast in his weakness, because that would show that it's not because of him the success is seen but because of Christ. "Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me" (12:9). Think about, Paul is the most educated man that lived during that time; but his view on the ability to contribute towards the Gospel, was low. Yes, he had all rights to say how much he knows, and where he finished school at, but that is not how he views himself, and why? Because a thorn in the flesh was giving to him so it would keep him from exalting.
“But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world” (Galatians 6:14).
In the letter, Paul states how God surrounds him with circumstances, where those circumstances keep him from slipping in to pride: "For this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me—to keep me from exalting myself!" (12:7). In other words, something else guarded him from being prideful, he says, the thorn in the flesh. God did not only had an interest in using Paul for the growth of the church, but had an interest in how he was ministering. We could see that God kept him humbled by having this thorn in his flesh.
When God speak to Anania, He said: "For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name" (Acts 9:16). In other words, God had a plan for Paul, the plan not only included the influence he would have on the people, but suffering came with it. Jesus says,"For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name" (16).
In Corinthian, Paul later says, "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'" (8-9). Something that he experienced, something that bothered him caused Paul to mention this three times in his prayers. And what was the reason to experience the thorn in the flesh in the first place? "To keep me from exalting myself" as Paul draws the conclusion. Something in his life that was strong enough to keep him from exalting, boasting we could say.
If we look at God and his view on pride and humility, we could see God honor’s humility, and He does that because in that he receives the glory. God through Isaiah says, "But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word" (66:2). In other words, this is who God bless's, speak's, pays attention too. In contrast, God is disgusted when person shows his pride: "Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate" (Proverbs 8:13). People should not only care about their looks and quality of the performance, but the quality of their heart. This is what king Belshazzar was missing. As God said: "'TEKEL '-- you have been weighed on the scales and found deficient" (Dan 5:27), kings heart was rated by God.
But how can someone detect pride; if we look around, every human is prideful to some degree, it just a matter how much that pride reflected in his or her life; how much is that pride seen to those who surround this person. If we look at pride, we could see that it generates from any success that person experiences in his or her life. You could be a professional skater, and because you are a professional skater, you could go around telling everyone how good you are, and at the same time, expect others to respect you for your skills. This is a small example but it has a principle that reflects how pride could be generated behind every success. Any accomplishment that person experiences, could be used to generate and develop a view of himself.
This is why Apostle Paul says that he rather boast in his weakness, because that would show that it's not because of him the success is seen but because of Christ. "Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me" (12:9). Think about, Paul is the most educated man that lived during that time; but his view on the ability to contribute towards the Gospel, was low. Yes, he had all rights to say how much he knows, and where he finished school at, but that is not how he views himself, and why? Because a thorn in the flesh was giving to him so it would keep him from exalting.
“But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world” (Galatians 6:14).
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