Paul’s thorn in his flesh

I am a recovering alcoholic, so one verse that I remind myself of when I am feeling weak or unfulfilled is 2 Corinthians 12:9. I am curious if we have any idea what the thorn in Paul's side was.

The apostle Paul did not explain what the “thorn in his flesh” was. That has not stopped people from guessing. The guesses range from physical ailments to mental torments to an actual person who was disruptive to Paul’s ministry.

Even though we do not know what Paul’s problem was, we do have information related to it. There was a good purpose behind Paul’s thorn in the flesh. In light of his otherworldly experience (2 Corinthians 12:2-4), the thorn in his flesh was intended to keep Paul humble.

We also know that God heard Paul’s repeated prayers to remove his problem, but God’s loving and wise answer was a “no.” In his wisdom and love, God left the problem in Paul’s life but gave him the strength to carry out his ministry. God’s actions led Paul to understand better how a powerful God works through weak human beings (2 Corinthians 12:9).

God grant you continued strength to fight the good fight of faith (1 Timothy 6:12).