I was in a devotional meeting on zoom recently where my friend and host played a beautiful song I hadn’t heard before, Heal the Wounds by Point of Grace. It’s about how God heals the wounds but leaves the scars.
It got me thinking. I know God heals our wounds, physical, emotional and spiritual. But why does God leave the scars? Shouldn’t his healing be perfect, as if nothing had ever happened?
Jesus Still Has His Scars
It occurred to me, as I was trying to think this through, that Jesus still has his scars. He invited Thomas to touch the nail holes and the spear wound (John 20:24-29). So his forehead also still bears the scars from that wicked crown of thorns. His back still bears the scars from the horrific flogging he endured.
In Revelation 5, John describes a vision of seeing Jesus as “… a lamb, looking as if it had been slain…” (Revelation 5:6). So even in prophetic imagery, Jesus’ body still carries the scars from his fatal wounds.
So if God the Father leaves Jesus’ scars, he’ll certainly leave ours. But why?
Then it hit me. In the Kingdom of God, scars have another name. Trophies.
God’s Healing Is Better Than Perfect
It’s hard to understand before you’ve experienced it. But God’s healing is better than perfect. Perfect would be as if the thing had never happened, no scar.
But God does better than that. He actually turns the scar into something beautiful.
Scars are the evidence of what’s been suffered and of what God’s healed. Jesus’ scars are trophies. And our scars are too. Trophies on display for the entire universe to see the goodness of God.
He doesn’t simply remove our wounding. He transforms it into something beautiful. Trophies to God’s goodness, faithfulness, and healing presence in the middle of all that pain, the scars of our healed wounds point others to where they can find healing too.
God’s Kintsugi
Have you heard of kintsugi? It’s an Asian art form where they break a beautiful ceramic, like a tea cup, a plate, a bowl, etc. Then they glue it back together with a golden glue. And because of how beautifully the breaks were repaired, it’s actually more beautiful afterward than before.
You are God’s kintsugi. That doesn’t justify or excuse or minimize what was done to you or what you’ve suffered. But when God heals and redeems, he does more than just level the playing field back to the way it was before. He actually makes it better than it was before. Because that’s just who he is.
Your Turn
Does this resonate? What part of your life has God healed better than it was before? Tell us your story in the comments.
Do You Want Help?
Where in your life are you still waiting for that healing? We would be honored to walk with you. Reach out to Dave and Janet for an inner healing session. We use a combination of Biblical truth and brain science to facilitate a safe, gentle way to experience a two-way connection with Jesus, get unstuck, and receive the healing Jesus has for you.
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