--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A thorn in the flesh is nothing compared…" description: "\"A thorn in the flesh is nothing compared to a thorn in the conscience.\" — Adrian Rogers" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f50/adrian-rogers-2096_conscience_a-thorn-in-the-flesh-is-nothing-compared_389963.png" --- # A thorn in the flesh is nothing compared to a thorn in the… ![“A thorn in the flesh is nothing compared to a thorn in the conscience.” quote by Adrian Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f50/adrian-rogers-2096_conscience_a-thorn-in-the-flesh-is-nothing-compared_389963.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f50/adrian-rogers-2096_conscience_a-thorn-in-the-flesh-is-nothing-compared_389963.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f50/adrian-rogers-2096_conscience_a-thorn-in-the-flesh-is-nothing-compared_389963.png) > “A thorn in the flesh is nothing compared to a thorn in the conscience.” [Adrian Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrian-rogers/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A moral conscience is more painful than physical suffering **In simple terms:** A conscience can hurt more than a physical wound Key Takeaway Prioritize inner moral health over external pain Themes morality spirituality self‑reflection Mood reflective serious Type theological philosophical When to use this quote - personal decision‑making - conflict resolution - ethical dilemmas - spiritual growth Key Concepts ethical conscience spiritual discipline Questions to Reflect On - How do we balance physical and moral suffering? - What practices strengthen conscience resilience? A Different Perspective Physical pain can be more immediate and tangible ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Compared Thorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compared-thorn-3518702/) [Conscience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conscience/) [Ethics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ethics/) [Flesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flesh/) [Flesh Compared](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flesh-compared-3518703/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Thorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thorn/) [Thorn Conscience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thorn-conscience-3518700/) [Thorn Flesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thorn-flesh-3518701/) ## Related quotes > [You can live with victory over the desires of your flesh. Habits, attitudes, desires, worries, and dissipation must yield as you exercise authority over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrian-rogers/you-can-live-with-victory-over-the-desires-of-your-flesh-habits/) [Adrian Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrian-rogers/) > [The bird with the thorn in its breast, it follows an immutable law; it is driven by it knows not what to impale itself,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colleen-mccullough/the-bird-with-the-thorn-in-its-breast-it-follows-an-immutable-law-it/) [Colleen McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colleen-mccullough/) > [“A flower in a desert still has no reason to envy a thorn in a rainforest.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matshona-dhliwayo/a-flower-in-a-desert-still-has-no-reason-to-envy-a-thorn-in-a/) [Matshona Dhliwayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matshona-dhliwayo/) > [“But he who dares not grasp the thorn Should never crave the rose.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bronte/but-he-who-dares-not-grasp-the-thorn-should-never-crave-the-rose/) [Anne Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bronte/) > [“Party name of Thorn? Tristran of that set?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/party-name-of-thorn-tristran-of-that-set/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [If I look at the one thorn that is in my side, of all my life, it is my weight. I fret about it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-mailman/if-i-look-at-the-one-thorn-that-is-in-my-side-of-all-my-life-it-is-my/) [Deborah Mailman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-mailman/) > [“Dropping into a thorn bush can lead to no end of grief.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-lawrence/dropping-into-a-thorn-bush-can-lead-to-no-end-of-grief/) [Mark Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-lawrence/) > [Clip the thorn before you embrace the rose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alvin-conway/clip-the-thorn-before-you-embrace-the-rose/) [Alvin Conway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alvin-conway/) > [The Thorn Birds' by Colleen McCullough. I took it on a holiday to Greece and just fell in love with it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-revel-horwood/the-thorn-birds-by-colleen-mccullough-i-took-it-on-a-holiday-to/) [Craig Revel Horwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-revel-horwood/) > [“No surname? Or is Thorn it?” “Thorn is all anyone needs to know about me.” “As in thorn up all our collective nether regions,”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/no-surname-or-is-thorn-it-thorn-is-all-anyone-needs-to-know-about-me/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [“Fuck up and I'll most likely kill you. Fuck up bad enough and I'll torture you first." "-Thorn”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/fuck-up-and-i-ll-most-likely-kill-you-fuck-up-bad-enough-and-i-ll/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [What you have despised in yourself as a thorn opens into a rose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumi/what-you-have-despised-in-yourself-as-a-thorn-opens-into-a-rose/) [Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi/) > [By the time I was 10 or 12, I had discovered the lure of the romance genre - and the dusty copy of 'The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-maclean/by-the-time-i-was-10-or-12-i-had-discovered-the-lure-of-the-romance/) [Sarah MacLean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-maclean/) > [My favourite thorn belongs to the rose with a name like a mouthful of broken teeth, Rosa sericea pteracantha. It is grown almost entirely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monty-don/my-favourite-thorn-belongs-to-the-rose-with-a-name-like-a-mouthful-of/) [Monty Don](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monty-don/) > [I never found either this or the Northern Shrike return to such prey for food. I have seen them alight on the same thorn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bachman/i-never-found-either-this-or-the-northern-shrike-return-to-such-prey/) [John Bachman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bachman/) ## More by Adrian Rogers > [Scientific accuracy confirms the Bible is the Word of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrian-rogers/scientific-accuracy-confirms-the-bible-is-the-word-of-god/) [Adrian Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrian-rogers/) > [And the Bible is not primarily a book of history. It is "His story," the story of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrian-rogers/and-the-bible-is-not-primarily-a-book-of-history-it-is-his-story-the/) [Adrian Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrian-rogers/) > [I have studied this Book, and I would never even dream of saying I've come to the bottom of the Word of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrian-rogers/i-have-studied-this-book-and-i-would-never-even-dream-of-saying-i-ve/) [Adrian Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrian-rogers/) > [I have not suffered a lot for Christ, but I want to tell you that those times that I have suffered and I knew…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrian-rogers/i-have-not-suffered-a-lot-for-christ-but-i-want-to-tell-you-that/) [Adrian Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrian-rogers/) > [God doesn't need us to give Him our money. He owns everything. Tithing is God's way to grow Christians.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrian-rogers/god-doesn-t-need-us-to-give-him-our-money-he-owns-everything-tithing/) [Adrian Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrian-rogers/) > [It is better to be divided by truth than to be united in error. It is better to speak the truth that hurts and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrian-rogers/it-is-better-to-be-divided-by-truth-than-to-be-united-in-error-it-is/) [Adrian Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrian-rogers/) > [There must be a law if there is to be liberty. Try to play a piano and you will run into laws as fixed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrian-rogers/there-must-be-a-law-if-there-is-to-be-liberty-try-to-play-a-piano-and/) [Adrian Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrian-rogers/) > [Study the history of revival. God has always sent revival in the darkest days. Oh, for a mighty, sweeping revival today!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrian-rogers/study-the-history-of-revival-god-has-always-sent-revival-in-the/) [Adrian Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrian-rogers/) > [Prayer can do anything God can do and God can do anything!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrian-rogers/prayer-can-do-anything-god-can-do-and-god-can-do-anything/) [Adrian Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrian-rogers/) > [The same Jesus Who turned water into wine can transform your home, your life, your family, and your future. He is still in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrian-rogers/the-same-jesus-who-turned-water-into-wine-can-transform-your-home/) [Adrian Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrian-rogers/) > [You can be too big for God to use, but you can never be too small for God to use.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrian-rogers/you-can-be-too-big-for-god-to-use-but-you-can-never-be-too-small-for/) [Adrian Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrian-rogers/) > [Study the Bible to know about God. Obey the Bible to really know God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrian-rogers/study-the-bible-to-know-about-god-obey-the-bible-to-really-know-god/) [Adrian Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrian-rogers/) > [God grades on the Cross not on the curve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrian-rogers/god-grades-on-the-cross-not-on-the-curve/) [Adrian Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrian-rogers/) > [There is no book that has had as much opposition as the Bible. Men have laughed at it, they have scorned it, they have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrian-rogers/there-is-no-book-that-has-had-as-much-opposition-as-the-bible-men/) [Adrian Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrian-rogers/) > [Paul spoke about the root of faith (Eph 2:8). James spoke about the fruit of faith (Jm 2:17-18).](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrian-rogers/paul-spoke-about-the-root-of-faith-eph-2-8-james-spoke-about-the/) [Adrian Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrian-rogers/) [Explore all 186 Adrian Rogers quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrian-rogers/) ## More Conscience quotes > [Self-respect and a clear conscience are powerful components of integrity and are the basis for enriching your relationships with others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-waitley/self-respect-and-a-clear-conscience-are-powerful-components-of/) [Denis Waitley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-waitley/) > [“Knowledge without conscience is but the ruin of the soul.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rabelaise/knowledge-without-conscience-is-but-the-ruin-of-the-soul/) [Rabelaise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rabelaise/) > [Writing adds up to the conscience of our times.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-firrell/writing-adds-up-to-the-conscience-of-our-times/) [Martin Firrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-firrell/) > [My conscience is really active. So I feel bad about spending excess amount of money on things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/syd/my-conscience-is-really-active-so-i-feel-bad-about-spending-excess/) [Syd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/syd/) > [Let us be thankful for health and competence, and, above all, for a quiet conscience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/izaak-walton/let-us-be-thankful-for-health-and-competence-and-above-all-for-a/) [Izaak Walton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/izaak-walton/) > [Making money doesn't oblige people to forfeit their honor or their conscience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-de-rothschild/making-money-doesn-t-oblige-people-to-forfeit-their-honor-or-their/) [Guy de Rothschild](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-de-rothschild/) > [“If we cannot be happy and powerful and prey on others, we invent conscience and prey on ourselves.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elbert-hubbard/if-we-cannot-be-happy-and-powerful-and-prey-on-others-we-invent/) [Elbert Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elbert-hubbard/) > [The God in whose hands are all our days and ways, did cast into my hand one day a book of Martin Luthers; it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-bunyan/the-god-in-whose-hands-are-all-our-days-and-ways-did-cast-into-my/) [John Bunyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-bunyan/) > [My morals are important to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-parrish/my-morals-are-important-to-me/) [Hunter Parrish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-parrish/) > [Being tolerant does not mean that I share another ones belief. But it does mean that I acknowledge another ones right to believe, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viktor-frankl/being-tolerant-does-not-mean-that-i-share-another-ones-belief-but-it/) [Viktor Frankl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viktor-frankl/) > [Never can true courage dwell with them, Who, playing tricks with conscience, dare not look At their own vices.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-taylor-coleridge/never-can-true-courage-dwell-with-them-who-playing-tricks-with/) [Samuel Taylor Coleridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-taylor-coleridge/) > [In presenting a mathematical argument the great thing is to give the educated reader the chance to catch on at once to the momentary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-edensor-littlewood/in-presenting-a-mathematical-argument-the-great-thing-is-to-give-the/) [John Edensor Littlewood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-edensor-littlewood/) > [I've worked with people who are much further to the left than I am and much further to the right than I am. At…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hanks/i-ve-worked-with-people-who-are-much-further-to-the-left-than-i-am/) [Tom Hanks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hanks/) > [If all the world hated you and believed you wicked, while your own conscience approved of you and absolved you from guilt, you would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-bronte/if-all-the-world-hated-you-and-believed-you-wicked-while-your-own/) [Charlotte Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-bronte/) > [ \[D\]on't grow old. With age comes caution, which is another name for cowardice… Whatever else you do in life, don't cultivate a conscience. Without… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hesketh-pearson/d-on-t-grow-old-with-age-comes-caution-which-is-another-name-for/) [Hesketh Pearson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hesketh-pearson/) [Browse all 3,490 Conscience quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conscience/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A thorn in the flesh is nothing compared to a thorn in the conscience.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Adrian Rogers" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrian-rogers/a-thorn-in-the-flesh-is-nothing-compared-to-a-thorn-in-the-conscience/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Conscience" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrian-rogers/a-thorn-in-the-flesh-is-nothing-compared-to-a-thorn-in-the-conscience/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f50/adrian-rogers-2096_conscience_a-thorn-in-the-flesh-is-nothing-compared_389963.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f50/adrian-rogers-2096_conscience_a-thorn-in-the-flesh-is-nothing-compared_389963.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f50/adrian-rogers-2096_conscience_a-thorn-in-the-flesh-is-nothing-compared_389963.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A thorn in the flesh is nothing compared to a thorn in the conscience.” — Adrian Rogers", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Adrian Rogers", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrian-rogers/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "A thorn in the flesh is...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrian-rogers/a-thorn-in-the-flesh-is-nothing-compared-to-a-thorn-in-the-conscience/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrian-rogers/a-thorn-in-the-flesh-is-nothing-compared-to-a-thorn-in-the-conscience/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```