Battle Scars

Read

Galatians 6:17 “From now on, let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus.”

Think

Billy Graham tells the story of visiting a veterans hospital after the war and going bed to bed, praying with the patients. One of them had been in the hospital for years. This gentleman who had lost a leg in World War II, when Dr. Graham remarked about the price he had paid, said, “It was worth it, wasn’t it?”  

The Apostle Paul said, “I bear on my body the marks of Jesus” (Galatians 6:17). In other words, Paul said that he bore the branding marks of a slave. When he called himself a servant of Jesus Christ, he did not mean a paid worker, as the word connotes today. He meant a slave, in utter subjection to the Master. But this subjection is borne out of love and devotion to Christ, and it ultimately brings liberty. We all bear marks of some kind. We have marks that are the results of trials and pains of our causing. These scars are reminders of God’s grace and forgiveness. We also have scars of faith that serve as a flag of freedom for others. They are reminders that when we stand up for what is true, when we fight the good fight, we are not alone.

Apply

How do people know you belong to Jesus? Do you bear the marks of Christ? Don't be ashamed of the gospel. Tell someone about Jesus today.

Pray

God, use me today. Let me be a witness for you. I want to live for you. In Jesus' name. Amen.