One of the things I’ve learned is that we often encounter experiences on our journey through life that put marks on us—sometimes, these marks can end up defining us.
Using drugs put marks on me. I’m sure you could imagine that at some point, these marks defined me.
If you’d looked at my medical records back in the day, you’d have seen it immediately—‘drug addict’.
It was Dr. Karn who’d put it there. He was one of our doctors in Hulme. You should’ve seen him. He was as bent as a nine bob note. He had a comb-over, a humped back, and he walked with his head to one side (a really good looking guy).
He became such a big part of my life, that I’d drawn a stick picture of him on the wall in our flat, with him sitting at his desk, bent over (with his humped back), and writing out a prescription! He was my pinup!
I just started off smoking a bit of weed and taking some amphetamine. Before I knew it, I had a picture of my doctor writing out a script stuck to my wall as if he were my favourite DJ! That’s how bad I got!
The track marks on my arms were a big mess.
Is there any wonder why he’d put ‘drug addict’ on my medical records?
See, the marks on my body had defined me.
But all this changed when I had an epiphany in church.
I turned up at church one morning, five weeks before I’d moved into a new flat. They were banging tambourines and waving flags around. It was like the opening of the Olympics!
That day I was prayed for. And that’s when God flicked on my switch!
Shortly after that, I learned how God defines me!
He says that, ‘I’m a new creation.’
He says that, ‘I’m a child of God.’
He says that, ‘I’m a member of God’s very own family.’
And he says that, ‘I’m His masterpiece.’
Now, with God on my side, I’ve realized that my marks don’t have to define me—not anymore!
If you look at my medical records now, you won’t find a single note related to drug use for the past 24 years.
See, marks don’t have to define you!
What about you? Have you gotten marks that have defined you? Maybe you have marks on your body. Or maybe the marks are someplace else. Maybe it was an incident that put marks on your character, your emotions, or on your heart.
I tell you, listen, wherever your marks are. From where God standing and with Him on your side, those marks don’t have to define YOU!
Barry