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Consider for a moment a passage from Paul's second letter to the church at Corinth:

Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecution, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

II CORINTHIANS 12:7B–10

In this passage, Paul was writing, in letters that predated the writing of the four Gospels, about being humbled by a "thorn in the flesh." He recognized that it was only through this humbling experience that the Lord was made perfect to him.

What was the "thorn in the flesh"? Great theologians and biblical scholars have offered many possibilities, including a physical ailment, a speech impediment, or a personality/angel/demon sent to tempt him. What if Paul's thorn in the flesh was some type of addiction? The reality is we simply do not know what it was that made Paul weak and led him to rely more fully on God.

What we do know is that it caused torment and difficulties, experiences with which any addict is familiar. We also know that Saul, before his conversion experience, traveled around speaking out against the teachings of Jesus. On the road to Damascus, Saul had a mystical experience that transformed him into the man we have come to know as Saint Paul. Perhaps this was his "rock bottom." The experience left him temporarily blind and unable to eat or drink. Through his days as a missionary, he continued to be mindful of the "thorn in his flesh" that forced him to rely on the grace of God.

Take some time to reflect on II Corinthians 12:7b–10.

Read this passage several times slowly. If possible, read it aloud. As you do this, breathe deeply and allow the words to really sink in. After doing that, reflect on the following questions:

•How has your addiction to sexual behavior become a thorn in your flesh?

•In what ways has your addiction tormented you?

•What does the phrase "my grace is sufficient" mean to you?

•Paul says, "For when I am weak, then I am strong." In your recovery, what does this mean to you?