S.L. Nadathur
Most of us have been wounded at some time or times in our lives. Some wounds are self-inflicted. Others are inflicted on us by others, some deliberately, some out of ignorance or indifference.
Many of us have been wounded by those closest to us, whether physically, emotionally or sexually. I know people who seem to never heal – they have been bleeding for years. I’ve known others who appear to have been healed only to have their wound or wounds reopened by some triggering incident. And there are some who seem to heal quickly with little evidence they’ve ever been wounded.
Even when wounds do heal, they often leave scars (whether physical or metaphorical). But there’s a big difference between a wound and a scar: a wound still bleeds. A scar is simply a marker where a wound used to be. In a sense, healing is (among other things) a turning of a wound into a scar. And our scars have reasons: they remind us of past sufferings; they teach us to be more careful next time; they remind us that what was once awry has been set aright (the scars of medical intervention or surgery); and, they are evidence of healing.
As with most spiritual and emotional aspects of our lives, there is no “easy button”; no formula for instant healing. But there are some biblical principles.
If the wound is our fault, we can confess it to God and accept His forgiveness. “If we confess our sins He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins” (1 John 1:9). Sometimes this may require the help of others. “Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed” (James 5:16).
If the wound has been inflicted by others, we can forgive them. We may not always be able to pronounce forgiveness, but we can by the inward power of the Spirit of God, take an attitude of forgiveness as did Jesus on the cross. “And Jesus was saying, ‘Father forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing’” (Luke 23:34). Or Stephen, as he was being stoned to death, “Bowing his knees he cried, ‘Lord do not charge this sin against them’” (Acts 7:60).
We can recognize in all of our pain the sovereign hand of God. “The Father of compassions and the God of all encouragement who encourages us in all our affliction that we may be able to encourage others” (2 Corinthians 1:3, 4). God has a purpose in our pain, even though we may not see it at first – or maybe ever.
Wounds happen. We can choose to pick at them and keep them bleeding, or we can seek with God’s help to let them turn into scars. We may never get rid of our scars (even plastic surgery can’t heal most of them), but we can live with them and learn from them. After all, even Jesus, after rising from the dead, still had His scars.
Scars are the lingering effects of the wounds of yesterday. They can be borne with shame or they can be worn as medals of victory, reminders that we are empowered to overcome adversity . . .
Scars . . . ugly or beautiful? It depends on your perspective . . .
What do you think? Is a scar a symbol of physical or emotional pain that's been overcome? Or is a scar something to be ashamed of, something that signifies weakness and recalls regrets?
