Label Maker

11/10/2021

Written By: Nancy Purtlebaugh

When my oldest was little, I worked full time. I needed everything to be tidy and to have a home so my life would be easier. Even before Tristan could read, we made pictures of his toys to become labels for where they would go. A picture of an army guy for the action figure drawer, a picture of a car for where his matchbox cars would belong, etc. You get the idea.

This worked so well, until it didn’t. He would sometimes get a new toy that didn’t belong in the labeled drawers, and he would have a minor meltdown. What do you do when the label doesn’t fit or the toy doesn’t belong with that label anymore?

We do the same thing. We put labels on people. We have someone we know who is often tardy to an event and they become the “friend who is always late”. You have a friend who has a drink on occasion, they become “the lush”. Your husband likes to lay down to rest after work, he is now “lazy”. You have two children-one is athletic, one does well in school. The first one is “sporty”, and the other is “smart”.

Labels can be fine--but they can also be very damaging. What happens when who people see you as, your “label”, is hurtful? You are the “player”, the “party animal”, the “fat girl”, the “beanpole”, the “mean girl”, the “jerk”, etc. What happens when your label no longer fits, even if it is a great label to have?

When you are the basketball star, but you don’t make the team? The smart kid, yet you are failing a few classes? When you are a mom and your kids grow up and move on? When you are at the top of the corporate ladder, they downsized, and you no longer have a job? When you were once the hero, but society now sees you as the enemy?

Those drawers with the labels? Tristan didn’t know what to do when the toys no longer matched the labels. We often have the same issue about our lives. When we place our identity where it never belonged to begin with. When we don’t know who we are anymore-where do we turn? What do we do?

I can tell you from experience, God is in the business of giving us new and better labels than the ones we, or others, give us. He can and will destroy those harmful labels and give us NEW names. He came so that you may not only have life, but have an abundant life (John 10:10).

What are some of the labels that God gives you?

You are SO loved. -John 3:16
You are HIS CHILD. -Romans 8:13, Galatians 3:26
You are MORE than a conqueror. -Romans 8:37
You are CHOSEN by Him. -Ephesians 1:11
You are God’s HANDIWORK. -Ephesians 2:10
You are TRANSFORMED. -Romans 12:2
God lives in YOU. -1 Corinthians 4:16
You are VICTORIOUS in Him. -1 Corinthians 15:57
You have been set FREE. -Galatians 5:1
You are SAVED. -Ephesians 1:13
You don’t feel like you BELONG here? That’s okay, He says our HOME is in Heaven. -Philippians 3:20
You are HOLY in Him. -Colossians 1:22
You are ALIVE in Christ. -Colossians 2:13

He makes this available to EVERYONE! Do you need a new label? He wants to do that for YOU!! Right now! He doesn’t want to take something from you, He wants to give you something better! If you aren’t sure how to do that, we (any of us from this team, or anyone on staff at Victory) would love to have a conversation with you about the life changing love of Jesus and WHO He says you are!!

As you go throughout your day, try and remember to spread this love and only put Jesus labels on those around you. We want others to see themselves through the lens of Jesus’ love and grace.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation: old things have passed away, behold, all things become new. - 2 Corinthians 5:1