Living With Our Scars

Good morning Hump Day Readers! Hope your middle of the week devotion helps you get through the rest of the week! My thoughts turned to “scars” – I know that doesn’t sound very encouraging but in reality, they can be and they are powerful reminders. So hang with me as we travel through some scars in our lives. We’ll start with the reminder of the scars Jesus took upon himself to redeem us!

“…the fact is, it was our pains he carried—our disfigurements, all the things wrong with us. We thought he brought it on himself—that God was punishing him for his own failures. But it was our sins that did that to him, that ripped and tore and crushed him—our sins! He took the punishment, and that made us whole.”  —Isaiah 53:5 (The Message)

What scars do you have? Do you remember the story behind them? When you look in the mirror do they still tell you a story? I have one in particular that to this day reminds me of God’s goodness in a time of trouble.

We were camping with dear friends in Iron River, MI. I was trying to secure an awning with a heavy-duty bungee cord. I stretched it beyond its capacity thinking it would be OK and it wasn’t—it slapped me back and before I realized it, I could put my tongue through the slice it made below my lip. UGH…off to the ER. I couldn’t believe how busy it was in this little town until I until I remembered that the PRCA Champion Rodeo was going on. Suffice it to say, my wound paled in comparison with these cowboys who’d been dragged, stomped on by bulls, etc. Glad I’m not queasy! 5 stitches later I left and managed to enjoy our campout despite the teasing from everyone. To this day I’m not supposed to handle bungee cords!

I see that scar every day when I look in the mirror. It is fading but it remains in my memory like it was just the other day. Scars tell us that bad things can happen at any time and indeed they leave their mark on us—both emotionally and physically.

One thing I’ve learned from my ‘bungee scar’ and several other scar-adventures, is that scars lie to us if we let them. God never intended for us to be hurt and in pain but sin entered the world and the evil of that sin has access to us…it whispers to us that we’re no longer beautiful and sadly, it can quickly get us thinking that God cannot protect us. Our defense is to NOT listen to the lies, but instead allow our scars to play a healing role in our faith walk!

One of the problems of our scars is that we can hide them as if they never happened, especially those ones we keep inside. Now we enter a dangerous place for our emotions and mental health. And the same is for those outside scars that are seen immediately by others. I had a friend who was heavily scarred by a car fire; so much of it was his face and neck and hands. Those kind of wounds almost caused him to take his own life. I am so thankful that he sought help. Today—wounds and all, he has a redemption story of those ugly scars. The main theme is “God wasn’t done with me yet” and he was right!

And how about “word scars” – those cruel words spoken to us or about us in gossip. Those scars beget betrayal, broken promises, and a feeling of not being loved. The Apostle James said it best when he wrote: “no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.” (3:7b)

Internal scars hide in the corners of our heart—those deep recesses that we try to stay away from. Sadly, it’s too easy to give in and let evil’s whispers bring up those ‘scar-stories’ over and over again, leading to depression and even to the point of suicide (which is a common problem today in so many people today).

*So what scars SHOULD we remember? Think of Jesus, after he rose from death and came among his disciples. Thomas wasn’t present and he didn’t believe his brothers so he said, “Unless I see the nail holes in his hands, put my finger in the nail holes, and stick my hand in his side, I won’t believe it.” (John 20:25 MG) When Jesus came among them again Jesus called Thomas to put his finger into those holes. Why? Not so much that Thomas would believe, but that Thomas would remember that the perfect Christ bore scars that were ours.

If we want the courage to overcome the lies of our scars, we need to remember Jesus, to stay close to Him, to be in His word, and to live the life He calls us to. When that happens, our scars will tell a story of faith instead of pain and hurt. Our scars can give others new hope and lead them into the joys of grace, mercy, and forgiveness that we all have in Christ Jesus. Indeed, by His wounds we ARE healed…AMEN!

*(I have a 2-3 day retreat using scars as the theme. This retreat has been a wonderful way to find healing as you come along others with their scar-stories. If you are interested in hosting this retreat in your church or group, please contact me at: ckwarnier@gmail.com).