12 This boasting will do no good, but I must go on. I will reluctantly tell about visions and revelations from the Lord. ² I^[a] was caught up to the third heaven fourteen years ago. Whether I was in my body or out of my body, I don’t know—only God knows. ³ Yes, only God knows whether I was in my body or outside my body. But I do know ⁴ that I was caught up^[b] to paradise and heard things so astounding that they cannot be expressed in words, things no human is allowed to tell.

⁵ That experience is worth boasting about, but I’m not going to do it. I will boast only about my weaknesses. ⁶ If I wanted to boast, I would be no fool in doing so, because I would be telling the truth. But I won’t do it, because I don’t want anyone to give me credit beyond what they can see in my life or hear in my message, ⁷ even though I have received such wonderful revelations from God. So to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud.

⁸ Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. ⁹ Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. ¹⁰ That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

2 Corinthians 12:1-10

Dear God, humility is an important thing. And I’ll confess that I struggle with it. In my small town, I’m in a position where a lot of people look up to me. I get too much credit for being nice, and sometimes I start to buy into my own reputation. But there are certainly things you have put into my life to humble me. My wife humbles me. My children humble me. My sin humbles me. The trick is to remember these things, shun the glory that falsely comes my way because anything good in my life is from you. You are the reason anything good comes out of me.

Father, I worship you for what you do and for what you forgive in me. I worship you for giving me so much, and I worship you for giving me struggles. I worship you because you are a great God, and I am but a vapor. I worship you because I owe you everything and you owe me nothing–yet you love me anyway.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen