You were bought with a price; do not
become slaves of men. I Corinthians 7:23
We’ve all got
them in our lives—people who label us.
Sometimes the labels are good.
“You’re so
smart.”
“You’re so beautiful.”
“You’re so organized…
“talented…
“spiritual…
“blessed.”
These are the
labels we like to hear—whether they’re true or not. They have a seductive
quality, inviting us to congratulate ourselves on what we’ve accomplished.
Sometimes the labels are bad.
“You’re so selfish.”
“You’ll never
amount to anything.”
“You’re such a
liar…
“a betrayer…
“untalented…
“lazy.”
Unlike the
positive ones, these labels can devastate us. The echos of these take residence
in our souls, providing a haunting refrain as we try to follow God’s path.
We can’t get away
from a world that seeks to define us, hanging labels on us for everyone to see. And although we know we
shouldn’t, if we’re not careful, we can begin to view ourselves through the
filters of others.
But let’s talk
about labels from a manufacturing perspective. When goods are manufactured,
there are only two sources that have the legal right to label something.
The one who
manufactured the goods, and
The one who
bought the goods.
That concept
holds just as true for us as believers. Only two people have the authority and the right to label
us.
The One who
created us, and
The One who paid
the ultimate price for our freedom.
These two also
have labels for us.
“You are
precious.”
“You are loved.”
“You are Mine.”
Today I challenge
you to join me as I banish the false labels (and the false labelers) and focus
on the only two who have the right to define me.
Lovely thoughts, Edie. And so true. We often allow the negative to play over and over in our minds like a scratched record. How wonderful to hear the refrain, "“You are precious. You are loved. You are Mine.”
ReplyDeleteOH WOW Edie!! "The one who created us and the one who bought us" are the only ones who can label us. I've never thought of that. Powerful! Thanks for the reminder.
ReplyDelete