And I want you to know, my dear brothers and sisters, that everything that has happened to me here has helped to spread the Good News. For everyone here, including the whole palace guard, knows that I am in chains because of Christ. And because of my imprisonment, most of the believers here have gained confidence and boldly speak God’s message without fear. Philippians 1:12-14 (NLT)
There is a song that I’ve been thinking about lately called Scars by I Am They. The chorus goes like this:
So I'm thankful for the scars
'Cause without them I wouldn't know your heart
And I know they'll always tell of who you are
So forever I am thankful for the scars
Later in the song, the chorus changes to:
I'm thankful for your scars
'Cause without them I wouldn't know your heart
And with my life, I'll tell of who you are
So forever I am thankful
Notice the subtle shift? Paul understood this so well. Whenever he suffered, he knew his suffering would produce two things. One, he would see more of who God was through his suffering. He would learn of his character and of his grace. Two, he would be pointed back to the cross. Through Jesus suffering we also learn of his character and love for us.
There are many days I wish that I didn’t have to walk through some of the things I walk through but when I look back, I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I have grown closer to Jesus through it. I know I’ve learned who my God is and to trust him.
So, I too, am thankful for the scars. I am thankful for them because without them I would know Jesus a little less. I wouldn’t trade my scars for anything because that would mean less of him in my life.