Only His Power

And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

2 Corinthians 12:7-9

It’s hard to think of someone who accomplished more for God’s kingdom than the Apostle Paul. He took the gospel to places it had never been heard, winning people to Christ and founding churches across much of the Roman Empire. He had all the formal training and credentials that anyone could want. Yet all that success also posed a danger—that Paul would be lifted up and become proud through focusing on himself rather than on God. That is why the thorn in the flesh was so important. God refused to remove it because it served as a constant reminder of Paul’s need for God’s grace. 

Nothing that we attempt to do in our own strength and ability has any possibility of success for God. Jesus said, “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing” (John 15:5).

We must never let anything that we have accomplished for God draw our focus or attention away from Him. We must never become proud and think that God needs our help. It is only through His presence and power that anything can succeed. After years of faithful service to God as a missionary in China, Hudson Taylor wrote, “I used to ask God if He would come and help me. Then I asked if I could come and help Him. Finally, I ended by asking God to do His own work through me.”