Warts and All

I have a wart on the inside of my right hand that refuses to die. It has resisted home remedies, drugstore products, and even three attempts by my dermatologist to burn it off with liquid nitrogen—all to no avail. It's sensitive to the touch, unsightly, and limits certain tasks that require that finger.

I share this personal annoyance to highlight a bigger truth: sometimes our little discomforts, imperfections, or limitations end up shaping who we are.

Take, for example, the woman with the issue of blood mentioned in Mark 5:25-34. Notice that her name is never given—only her condition. She had become defined by her ailment to the point that it dominated her life. In her own mind, she wasn't a daughter, a neighbor, or a friend—she was simply the woman with the issue of blood.

This is why many people with serious but unseen illnesses often keep their condition a secret. They don't want to be defined by their disease and lose their personhood. And that's the danger we all face with the "warts" in our lives—whether visible or hidden. We begin to see ourselves through the lens of our flaws or failures, becoming nameless people with an "issue of blood."

But the story of that woman also teaches us how to break free:

1. She wanted different. She longed for change, spending all she had in search of healing.
2. She turned to Jesus. Human solutions had failed, so she reached out in faith to the only One who could truly help.
3. She rebranded herself. Once healed, she was no longer "the woman with the issue of blood." By acknowledging Jesus, she became His disciple.

For the record, I don't really identify myself by this bothersome wart. But I'll admit, I'm often tempted to view my life through the lens of other, more serious struggles. That's when I remember the woman who came to Jesus in faith. And like her, I turn to Him again—re-offering my flawed, imperfect self, warts and all.

Our flaws may label us, but only Christ defines us.