Hebrews 12:1
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.
And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.
PRAYER
Lord God, I want my scars to tell a greater story than my pain. Teach me how to let you into the memories and emotions that continue to keep me stuck so they can tell your story—your power to heal, redeem, and restore.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Additional Devotions
Scars are the result of trauma. And regardless of the injury be it physical, mental, spiritual, or emotional—our scars tell a story. They tell a story of our pain. What we’ve endured. What we’ve overcome. Or what we still need to overcome.
How about you? What are your scars telling you, and to those around you?
We have a great example in the story commonly known as “Doubting Thomas” (John 20:24-29). Jesus invites Thomas to see and touch the scars of where he hung on the cross knowing that’s what he needed to believe. You see, Thomas desired proof of the pain Jesus suffered in order to believe in the healing power of the resurrection.
Isn’t that true for so many of us? We need to see to believe and we often look for proof in other people’s scars. We want to know God can heal. Redeem. Restore.
Truthfully, most of us have every human right to wear our scars like bitter battle wounds. We’ve been hurt. Much of which was unfair and unwarranted. Although time marches on and the initial injury becomes a scar, the result of these painful wounds often splinter into other areas of our lives if left unchecked and unattended.
Take a moment to do a deep dive. Do you have some scars that need a divine touch? Perhaps it’s time to invite God into those places of pain.
When we can live from a place of forgiveness and freedom, our scars tell not only our story, but an even greater story—one of healing, redemption, and purpose. Herein lies the wonderment of sacred scars. They reveal to others what can happen when we turn our pain over to be transformed into something beautiful and useful.
Although we can’t make sense of every injustice, we can choose to let God transform each offense into a sacred scar. Once we do, we can be proof for someone else of God’s power to heal and resurrect from the traumas of this broken world.
It’s a strange twist of events when our greatest pain becomes our greatest gain. But that is the miracle of sacred scars.
Take a few moments to ask God if there are scars that need His divine touch. Allow Him to minister to the pain they still hold by transforming any memories and emotions that are keeping your stuck.