“But he was pierced for our transgressions,
\nhe was crushed for our iniquities;
\nthe punishment that brought us peace was on him,
\nand by his wounds we are healed.” \u00a0Isaiah 53:5<\/i><\/b>
\nJesus had scars, why shouldn’t we?
\nHave you ever thought about it? \u00a0I hadn’t, not until recently. It was a statement I heard in a video I watched for my current Bible study. \u00a0I’ve been thinking about it ever since.
\nJesus’ scars were visible on the outside. \u00a0His pierced hands and feet. \u00a0His flogged back. \u00a0The hole in his side. \u00a0They were all visible. \u00a0Ours tend to be harder to see.
\nThe heartbreak of betrayal. \u00a0The loss of a loved one. \u00a0The sting of rejection. \u00a0The mark of disappointment. \u00a0There are scars from being victims of circumstances outside our control: rape, molestation, physical abuse, verbal abuse. \u00a0They all leave scars.
\nWe are all scarred. \u00a0They just aren’t visible.
\nIt is always hard for me to think of the physical pain Jesus went through on the cross. \u00a0It always humbles me. \u00a0When I think of the betrayal He experienced from His closest friends it saddens me.
\nHe did that for me. \u00a0He did it for you.
\nI’ve been thinking about the scars in my life. \u00a0The things I’ve either done to myself or have been done to me. \u00a0None of them compare to what Jesus bore for me on the cross. \u00a0They have all brought me closer to Jesus. \u00a0They have deepened my relationship with Him. \u00a0They have helped me love Him more.
\nI have learned, at this point in life, when something happens to us, something which scars us, we have two choices. \u00a0We can give it to God or we don’t.
\nIf we give it to God, He will redeem it. \u00a0If we don’t we will never heal. \u00a0The wound will fester. \u00a0Become infected. \u00a0It will permeate every aspect of our being. \u00a0It will create bitterness and resentment. \u00a0It will rob of us our joy. \u00a0We will lose our peace.\u00a0All of the things Jesus came to give us will be taken away.
\nOne thing is true, we all have scars, just like Jesus. \u00a0When we make this truth a part of our life. \u00a0When we realize everyone we meet is walking wounded, you just can’t see their scars. \u00a0It will help us love others better.
\nIf we remember, just because we can’t see the scars doesn’t mean they aren’t there, we will love people better. \u00a0We love Jesus because of His scars and what He did for us. \u00a0His were visible, we can see his pain. \u00a0We forget about other peoples scars because we can’t see them.
\nIf we had a perspective shift. \u00a0If instead of judging people for what we can see. \u00a0If we searched for what we couldn’t see, how different our world would be.
\nYou hear often, when people are talking about an affair in marriage, it’s only a symptom of a deeper problem. \u00a0What if we started applying the same thought process to people’s actions? \u00a0When they hurt or offend us, instead of judging the action, what if we looked for the scar?
\nHurting people hurt people. \u00a0We all have hurts. Instead of seeking revenge when we are hurt, let’s start looking for the scar. \u00a0Let’s remember, just like Jesus, we all have them.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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