John 9:1-2 (AMP) “While He was passing by, He noticed a man [who had been] blind from birth. His disciples asked Him, “Rabbi (Teacher), who sinned, this man or his parents, that he would be born blind?”” Jesus had another view of the man born blind. John 9:3 (AMP) “Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but it was so that the works of God might be displayed and illustrated in him.”
How easy is it to make assumptions about someone thinking we know them or their story and affixing a label to them. Labels are very convenient. Stick them on and you know where to place or what to do with an object.
Labels are for products and filing, not for people.
Labelling others
When the disciples saw the blind man, they, on their own accord, label him. Let’s discuss whose fault this is. They did not even take the time to consider that, without a doubt, he was a man in need of help. Never mind that the man was sitting right in front of them and could hear them speak. He was blind, not deaf! Proverbs 18:2 (NLT) says “Fools have no interest in understanding; they only want to air their own opinions.”
It is so much easier to label than to love.
Labels are judgements. The Bible teaches us in Luke 6:37 (ESV) “Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven. Matthew 7:2 (NLT) reminds us that “The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged.” The Bible challenge us to surrender our biases.
Leave your pre-made labels at home.
The labels we carry
What labels do you carry around?
Let’s be honest. We all carry labels. Some we give to ourselves, while some are given to us. But who has the right to label us? Who has the right to define who we are and subsequently shape our identity?
Creators own their creation and have certain exclusive rights to their work. The protection of a creator’s rights is catered for in copyright legislation. Only the creator and/or owner of an object has the right to name or label it.
Genesis 1:26 tells us that God made us in His image and likeness. In God’s Word we also read:
- Psalm 100:3 (NIV) “It is he who made us, and we are his.”
- Psalm 119:73 (NIV) “Your hands made me and formed me.”
- Psalm 139:13 (NIV) “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.”
- Isaiah 43:7 (CEV) “They are my people – I created each of them to bring honour to me.”
- Ephesians 2:10 (AMP) “For we are His workmanship [His own master work, a work of art], created in Christ Jesus [reborn from above – spiritually transformed, renewed, ready to be used] for good works, which God prepared [for us] beforehand [taking paths which He set], so that we would walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us].”
I am created by God, for God.
God designed us, created us, and put us together from the innermost to the outermost part of us. And He did it with purpose. God knows us more deeply, intimately, and completely, than we even know ourselves.
We are no surprise to God. He knew what He was getting when He made us and chose us and it gave Him great pleasure. Ephesians 1:4-5 (NLT) tells us “Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.”
Not only is God the most qualified to define us and shape our identity as Creator, He also owns the right to do so, because He purchased us. 1 Peter 1:18-19 (GNT) “For you know what was paid to set you free from the worthless manner of life handed down by your ancestors. It was not something that can be destroyed, such as silver or gold; it was the costly sacrifice of Christ, who was like a lamb without defect or flaw.”
God purchased us, not with silver or even gold, but with the costly price of Jesus Christ’s blood.
God paid the highest price for us. He purchased us with the most valuable, priceless, precious treasure: His Son, Jesus Christ’s blood. First God made us and then He paid for us. He adopted us into His family, and calls us His sons and daughters.
Remove your labels
If anyone is qualified to define us and shape our identity, it’s God. Our identity shouldn’t be shaped by feelings or experiences, but by God, who made us and purchased us. Neither society, social media, nor other people are qualified or entitled to shape our identity. And neither are we. God’s opinion is the only one that counts.
Our identity is not based on how we see ourselves, but on who God says we are.
Often it is easier to believe the things God says about Himself, than the things He says about us. It is vital that we learn to place our identity in Jesus Christ. That we develop a healthy self-esteem by choosing to see ourself as God sees us. We need to accept what God says about us. We should take hold of the truth of God’s Word. Agree and believe the biblical affirmations about our identity. The more we rehearse what He says about us, the more our lives will align with our true identity. The basis of our self-acceptance is knowing that God completely accepts us through Jesus. He sees us as totally righteous, because of the royal robes of righteousness Jesus gave us.
Only God is qualified to define us and shape our identity because He is both our creator and our owner.
The enemy can’t keep us from being who God says we are, but he can try to prevent us from believing it and living in victory. One of the enemies’ greatest tools to make us feel bad about ourselves is condemnation. Many people who love God and are serving Him, are troubled by negative thinking about themselves. They think that God must be disappointed or angry with them for all their failures and shortcomings.
How many ‘could have’, ‘should have’, ‘if only’ statements do we make? These are statements and thoughts full of condemnation. How much time do we waste living under guilt and condemnation? Romans 8:1 (AMP) reassures us “Therefore there is now no condemnation [no guilty verdict, no punishment] for those who are in Christ Jesus [who believe in Him as personal Lord and Savior].” As long as you repent for the things you did wrong, forget the past because God has (Hebrews 8:12).
Don’t meditate on all your messes!
In order to be free from guilt and condemnation, we not only need to receive forgiveness from God, but we need to forgive ourselves. We need to stop hitting ourselves over the head with something that God has forgiven and forgotten. This doesn’t mean that we are perfect and will never mess up again, it just means that we can go on with life without being weighed down with a constant burden of guilt and condemnation over what happened in the past.
Remove the labels you accepted that were created by the lies of condemnation. Remove the labels you carry that is not aligned with the biblical affirmations about your identity. Take hold of the truth of God’s Word.
How are you defining the truth of who you are?
Who God says I am
Genesis 3:11a (NLT) “Who told you that.”
By whose standards are you measuring yourself?
Here are just a few of the affirmations of what God says about us:
- We are created in His image, reflecting His nature (Genesis 1:26-27). We are His own master work (Ephesians 2:10). An incredible work of art (Isaiah 64:8). Created for His glory (Isaiah 43:7). Purchased with the blood of Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:7).
- We are a child of God and dearly loved (1 John 3:1). We are accepted, redeemed, free from condemnation and we belong to Him (Romans 15:7, Galatians 3:13, Romans 8:1). We are joint heirs with Jesus Christ and the temple for His Spirit (Romans 8:17, 1 Corinthians 3:16). We are part of a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation (1 Peter 2:9). Sanctified, holy and complete (Colossians 2:10 and 3:12). Our names are written in heaven (Luke 10:20).
- God cares about us (1 Peter5:7). He watches over us, protects us and provide for us (1 Peter 3:12, Psalm 5:11, Psalm 23:1). Nothing can separate us from His love (Romans 8:35). Nor would He forget us or abandon us (Isaiah 49:15, Hebrews 13:5). We are never alone (2 Corinthians 4:9).
I encourage you to take hold of the affirmations given to us in the Word of God.
Prayer: Father, thank you that I am Yours. That my entire being, my identity, it all comes from You. Help me to walk firmly and confidently in the identity You have for me. Please help me shed all the labels I accepted from others or attached to myself that is not in accordance to Your Word. In Jesus name, Amen.
