Overcoming Negativity
- Lee Young
- Sep 10
- 2 min read
John 20:27
27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”
Jesus didn’t waste a moment to show His scars. He did not attempt to go through the prophets and their teachings in order to prove that He was the Messiah. He did remind his disciples of prophecy on the road to Emmaus, but here, He quickly shows His scars, even inviting Thomas to touch them.
It is easy to move quickly to apologetics and teaching when we are talking to others about Christ. Christianity is often reduced to an intellectual phenomenon. Certainly, we need understanding. It is more than a feel-touchy thing, also. But in the end, God does not intend that the main evidence of His existence, love, and salvation be teachings and fulfilled prophecy. We are the proof.
The enemy is constantly reminding us of where we fall short in our walk with Christ. It is easier to see those places that still need work than those places where we are better. But the scars remind us of who we used to be. They remind us of the healing we have received. They remind us of how far we have come. And if we focus too much on where we are still lacking in our walk with Christ, our testimony is silenced. We must take note of our scars to remember our healing so we can give God thanks for what He has done, so that we are the evidence of Him. In this way, we are overcoming the negativity.
The best way for us to keep in mind how far we have come, to not be overwhelmed with how much further we still need to go in our maturity, is to share our testimony often. We must be wise and not preach a sermon to everyone we see. However, we do need to be ready to share an appropriate version of all that God has done and let people see our scars.
It is not just for others that we bear our scars. It is for us. The Apostle Paul reminds us to never forget where we were when Christ saved us. We don’t remember for the purpose of running down who we used to be. We remember to remind ourselves of who we have become by the grace of God.
We are surrounded by people who love to point out our faults. If we grew up with people like this, then our minds have been trained to do the same thing. The world also loves to point out where Christians fall short. And let’s not forget the judgmental pulpits we encounter where even the church throws our past against us. In this environment, we must look at our own scars often to defeat the spirit of criticism that works to steal our joy and peace. Don’t hesitate to show your scars, not only for them, but for you. You have come a long way.
Amen