Embracing the Scars

 

Scars are not always visible; sometimes they are hidden deep within us.

We put on a brave face, plaster on a smile, and pretend we are OK. We go about our day in pain. We may go for days, months, or even years, not wanting anyone to see our scars.

Maybe we are afraid of what others will think of us, or we may keep them hidden for other reasons. Yet every time we see the scars, we are reminded of the moments they were created. Maybe a parent abandoned us, or maybe someone told you that you were stupid, or maybe a parent or spouse abused you. 

I know all about scars; I have a few myself. My senior year of high school, I registered to take an accounting class. On the first day, as I was excitedly heading to the classroom, the principal stopped me in the hallway and asked me to come to his office. Dreading what I was going to hear but hoping I was wrong.

"Beth, Mr. Wright, and I discussed you attending the accounting class, and we just don't think you are smart enough. That is why we decided to put you in a much easier class."

I thought to myself, "I knew it."

I really wanted to take the accounting class, not the remedial one. As I have so often experienced before, arguing wouldn't change anything. So I simply said, "Okay."

Every time I felt God calling me to do something for Him, I would see the scar of that moment and remember how I felt. I would shrink back and tell myself, "I can’t do it; I’m not smart enough." 

Jesus sees our scars differently than we do. He bears His own scars, too. Scars that symbolize His love for you and for me. When He shines the light on our scars, to us they remind us of our suffering, but to Him He sees how we overcame.

Jesus teaches us that even if our parents forsake us or abandon us, He never will. (Hebrews 13:5). Our scars testify to the struggles we have faced and the strength we have gained. We are victorious, all thanks to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:57)

Jesus is the very one who, when speaking to doubting Thomas, showed him His scars—scars inflicted during His crucifixion. These scars reveal the depth of His love for us. When Jesus shines His light on us and exposes our scars, He doesn't want us to dwell on the pain; instead, He wants us to see ourselves as forgiven, loved, and victorious. The devil wants us to focus on the sources of our scars—the people who rejected or abused us, or even the wounds we inflicted on ourselves.

So instead of viewing your scars as ugly and trying to hide them, allow Jesus to heal you. He healed me. I don't see myself as stupid; I see myself as someone who can do all things through Christ. (Philp 4:13).

Don’t let your scars define your brokenness. Instead, embrace them as a powerful testament to your journey as an overcomer. Share your story with others, so they can hear about your victorious experience and how Jesus carried you through.

 As for the accounting class I missed in high school, God, in His loving way, ensured that when I went to college, I not only had to take one accounting class but three—and I passed all of them with an A!