Bald Is Not Bad

“See, my servant will act wisely; he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted.” – Isaiah 52:13

I remember that very morning when my hair started to fall out. I was already expecting it to happen, but experiencing it itself was still quite terrible. I tried not to shave my head, hoping that the hair fall would eventually stop. But that wasn’t the case. When I woke up in the morning, I saw strands of hair all over my pillow.

When I went to the barbershop, I told the barber not to comb or touch my hair. “Just shave it all off directly,” I said. He did not listen, and his face soon became pale. I flashed him a reassuring smile. During the haircut, I felt anxious thinking about presenting myself in public places, since it was now clear to people that I was battling cancer.

Do I need to be ashamed of myself because I have cancer? How will I answer people who ask what happened to me? What will people think of me when they find out about my situation?

I pondered for a while and realized that getting bald is not bad at all!

During His crucifixion, Jesus would have felt shame from all the humiliation, but He did not let it distract His focus on what God wanted Him to do. The Bible says that Jesus had a ruined and disfigured face because of what the people did to him. He knew how it felt to be rejected and condemned publicly. But Jesus did not focus on how He looked in the trial. Instead, He set His eyes on what comes after the trial – exalted and high on His throne.

Jesus was not ashamed because He knew what He was going through was for greater glory. And we can live today under His glory because of what He has done. He has taken our failures on the cross and replaced them with our new identity as the children of God. He sees our weaknesses and gives us unique strengths and abilities for us to treasure and multiply to bless others.

Today, your trials may seem ugly. But I want to tell you today that Jesus understands how it feels, and He doesn’t want you to feel that way. He wants you to set your eyes to see the glory beyond the trials. He wants you to hold onto the promise that He will turn these ugly trials into beautiful blessings for many.

You are a beloved child of God regardless of your appearance. Be confident!