Reframe the way you view your perceived flaws. 2 Cor.12:7-10
Have you ever heard the legend of the humility square? I first heard of this legend from Ann Kaylor. Ann is a friend of mine who is who is, in my opinion an accomplished quilter. Ann is the one who quilted together a pile of my old running shirts into my favorite blanket. Ann told me when the Amish women quilt a blanket, they intentionally sew in a piece of fabric that is obviously different from the rest of the pattern. Ann explained the Amish do this as an expression of humility, believing only God can create perfect things and that by intentionally including a mistake in their quilts the Amish were acknowledging their own imperfections. Amish quilters, according to legend, called this intentional imperfection the “humility square”.
The Amish humility square is a popular legend in the quilting community. However, when asked about the humility square, Amish quilters categorically deny the practice and claim this is a story fabricated by English non-Amish quilters. Amish quilters have been known to protest, “no one has to remind us that we are not perfect”. However, despite these protests, the legend of the humility square persists. It has become common practice in the quilting community to describe quilted errors (intentional or otherwise) as humility squares. In this way quilters seek to reframe the way they and other people see these perceived flaws, to see them not as horrible mistakes but as something that has been purposefully sewn into the fabric of the quilt not to detract from but to enhance its overall beauty.
I was reminded of the legend of the humility square when I read our second lesson from 2 Corinthians 12:7-10. In these verses we read about a perceived flaw that is used to enhance the overall beauty, not of a quilt but of a person by the name of Paul. Today we are going to take a few moments to consider the purpose and appreciate the beauty of our perceived flaws.
Paul struggled to understand the purpose or appreciate the beauty of his humility square. Paul described his perceived flaw as a thorn in his flesh. In verse 7 Paul wrote, “in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.” There has been a great deal of speculation as to exactly what was Paul’s thorn in the flesh. Speculations over Paul’s thorn in the flesh have included physical ailments such as malaria, sciatica, arthritis, depression, migraines, epilepsy, even leprosy. Personally, I think there are compelling speculations concerning problems with Paul’s vision[1] or some sort of speech impediment[2].
There are all sorts of speculations as to exactly what was Paul’s thorn in the flesh. Some speculations are more compelling than others but, in the end, speculations concerning Paul’s thorn in the flesh are just that, speculations. What we do know is Paul believed this thorn in the flesh was an unnecessary irritation and frustration, that it was a hinderance to his work and was preventing him from being more effective. Paul said his thorn in the flesh “tormented” him and he was convinced his life would be better without it, so much so that Paul tells us “8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.”
I am guessing you can relate; I am guessing you have some perceived flaw or flaws that to some degree torment you and you believe if these flaws were corrected or removed your life would be better. I want you to take just a couple of moments to think about your most irritating and frustrating perceived flaw. Maybe it is a perceived physical flaw: an ailment, disease, or condition. Maybe it is a perceived personality flaw: an idiosyncrasy, eccentricity, or quirk. Maybe it is a perceived phycological flaw: an attitude, temperament, or disposition. If you are having trouble, finish this sentence, “I wish I wasn’t so…” or “I wish I didn’t have…” or “my life would be so much better without…”. Whatever it was that finished one (or all) of those sentences is likely your perceived flaw. If you are still having trouble thinking of a flaw, learn over to the person next to you and ask them to help you. Out of the 5 or 6 suggestions they provide, pick one.
O.K., with your perceived flaw in mind let’s take another look at verse 7. Notice there Paul wrote, “I was given a thorn in my flesh”. Paul’s perceived flaw was not a mistake, it was not an accident, it was not a twist of fate. Paul’s perceived flaw was purposefully and intentionally given to him and the context makes it clear it was given to him by God. That is not typically how we think of our perceived flaws. We typically think of God as a passive agent when it comes to thorns that torment us. We say things like “God allowed it” or “God permitted it”. What we don’t tend to say is “God gave it”. But perhaps we should. God is after all Sovereign; that is to say, He is an active agent who rules and controls all things, including your perceived flaws. You have these perceived flaws because God gave them to you. Which is why I keep calling them “perceived” flaws.
You see, God does not give flaws. God gives gifts and blessings. We only perceive the things which God gives to be flaws because in the hands of the devil, God’s gifts and blessings feel like tormenting thorns. The devil wants you to believe your perceived flaw is an unnecessary frustration and an irritation. The devil wants you to believe your perceived flaw is an accident or mistake. The devil wants you to believe that your life would be better without your perceived flaws. Just as he suggested to Adam and Eve when he handed them the forbidden fruit, the devil would like you to believe God is withholding gifts and blessings from you, but this is a lie. God does not give you perceived flaws to withhold gifts and blessings from you, rather your perceived flaws are gifts and blessings. I’ll keep calling them perceived flaws but when I do I want you to understand what you perceive as a flaw is in truth a purposeful blessing. Which, with the help of Paul I will now demonstrate.
One reason God gives us perceived flaws is to curb our sinful behavior. Paul explains I was given a perceived flaw, “7… to keep me from becoming conceited”. Paul was a rather gifted individual. He had an impressive intellect, he was known for his dogged determination, and he was unusually fearless considering the dangers and difficulties he faced. Additionally, Paul’s list of accomplishments is staggering. Nearly every Christian church outside of Jerusalem is a result of Paul’s missionary efforts. Most of all, Paul was permitted to see what he calls surpassingly great revelations; the greatest of which was the resurrected Christ. You can see how tempting it would be for these things to go to Paul’s head, to make him believe he was better than others. It took a while for Paul to understand, but eventually he realized God gave him a thorn in his flesh to curb the temptation of pride.
What God did for Paul He does for us. I can’t say exactly how your perceived flaw is curbing a sinful behavior, nor can I specifically identify what sinful behavior is being curbed. I could cheat and simply say, like Paul, it is the sin of pride. Pride after all is the fountainhead from which all sin flows. It might take you a long time to see how God is using your perceived flaw to curb a sinful behavior, it is thought that Paul pleaded with the Lord for 14 years before he realized the purpose of his perceived flaw. As I look back on my life, I have my suspicions concerning the reason as to why I was given some of my perceived flaws, maybe you look back on your life and have similar suspicions. Or you might live your entire life and never understand what sinful behavior your perceived flaw was curbing. But either way, whether we know or know not, Paul helps us understand one purpose of our perceived flaws is to curb our sinful behavior.
Another reason God gives us perceived flaws is to cause us to depend on His grace. Paul prayed that Jesus would take away his perceived flaw and Jesus answered Paul’s prayer. Jesus said, “no”. I mean He said it nicer than that. Jesus told Paul, “9… My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” It is tempting to believe that our lives would be better if we weren’t so perceivably flawed. If we were smarter, wiser, stronger, if we had more gifts abilities and talents than we could not only better serve our God but also better serve our families and ourselves. But Jesus would have us focus not on what we could do, but rather on what He has done. Jesus, by the way, had what many would consider perceived flaws. He wasn’t exactly the dashing deliverer people expected. The prophet Isaiah reminds us Jesus “had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.”[3] Yet it was His perceived flaws; His weakness that ultimately led Him to the cross where our sins were forgiven, and our salvation was secured.
Your sins were not forgiven because you are smart, or wise, or strong. Your salvation was not secured because you have gifts, talents, and abilities. Your sins were not forgiven, and your salvation was not secured because of anything you do. Your sins have been forgiven, and your salvation has been secured because of God’s grace; because of what Jesus has done. And what is true for you is true for others. People don’t need you to be smarter, wiser, stronger; they don’t need you to have more gifts, talents, and abilities, all they need you to have is God’s grace.
One more reason God gives us perceived flaws is to help us confess our faith. Once Paul understood the purpose of his perceived flaws, he was able to appreciate the beauty of those flaws. Paul confessed, “9… I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” Paul realized his thorn in the flesh was not a hinderance but was actually a help. By giving Paul a perceived flaw, the spotlight was firmly fixed on Jesus. As people looked at and listened to a man whose flesh was tormented by a thorn, they would be forced to conclude there must be a greater power behind this man which enables him to do all the things he is doing. And when they looked for that power, they would see Jesus.
God gives us perceived flaws so that people will see past us and see Jesus. God gives us perceived flaws so that people don’t pay attention to us, because as it turns out we aren’t the world’s saviors, Jesus is! We are but clay jars, Jesus is the treasure. Which is why we don’t want to be in the spotlight, rather we want Jesus to be in the spotlight. By giving us perceived flaws God helps us keep Jesus in the spotlight. When people look at us and listen to us they see people who are perceivably flawed, yet they see us enduring hardship, rejoicing in suffering, and possessing a transcendent peace and those people who are looking at us and listening to us are forced to conclude there must be a greater power behind us which enables us to endure, rejoice, and be at peace. And when they look for that power, they see Jesus. Our perceived flaws do not hinder us from confessing our faith, our perceived flaws help us confess our faith.
The devil wants you to see your perceived flaws as thorns in the flesh that torment you. But today, we have taken the time to consider the purpose and appreciate the beauty of our perceived flaws. We have considered how our perceived flaws curb our sinful behavior, cause us to depend on God’s grace, and help us to confess our faith. As a result, I hope you see your perceived flaws like a humility square that has been intentionally sewn into a quilt. I hope you see your perceived flaws, not as a horrible mistake but as something beautiful that has been purposefully sewn into the fabric of your life. I hope, with the help of saint Paul, I have caused you to reframe the way you view your perceived flaws. Amen.
[1] Galatians 4:14-15
[2] 2 Corinthians 10:10 &2 Corinthians 11:6
[3] Isaiah 53:2