Jesus Christ kept His scars to remind us that He can heal ours.
Every person we interact with has challenges we cannot see. Some people may face small challenges like not getting a job they applied for or living with mild anxiety. Others might be dealing with deep scars from domestic violence or contemplating whether or not they want to stay on this earth. We simply cannot know every worry or struggle.
That’s why, in her BYU devotional titled “An Immigrant’s Journey Toward God,” BYU psychology professor Niwako Yamawaki encourages us to treat everyone with Christlike grace and mercy.
PHOTO BY HERNY & CO
Yamawaki shares that her testimony is built on the knowledge that God loves her, which means that He loves His other children—our spiritual brothers and sisters—just as much. She states this simple truth: “God exists and loves us all, no exceptions.”
We know that because God loves us, He sent His Son Jesus Christ to overcome sin and suffering. Yamawaki testifies, “I believe that [Christ] decided to keep His scars because He wants us to know that He also suffered and experienced so much pain. I feel as if He tells me, ‘I love each one of you so much that I was willing to become one of you, to show each of you that I was willing to take on your sufferings so that I could feel fully your pain and identify with each of you.”’
As you use Christ’s Atonement to heal your own scars, remember that heavenly love extends to everyone, and that they should be treated as such.
To learn about Yamawaki’s experience as an immigrant to the US and conversion to the Church, and how her experiences might apply to your life, you can read, watch, or listen to her devotional An Immigrant’s Journey Toward God.
—Abby Haralson, Latter-day Saint Insights
Source: BYU Speeches
FEATURE IMAGE BY CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS
Find more insights
To learn more about healing from difficult experiences, read Cecilia Oak’s article “Finding Comfort in Times of Sorrow.”
If you want to be better at building a loving community, read Alohilani Jacob’s article “With Open Arms.”