Have you ever been labeled? Has someone ever said that you are something when in all actuality you're not? If so, then this is one blog you definitely should read.
I went to a youth group type thing at Faith Tab tonight and heard some things worth sharing; things that will definitely help me in my walk with Christ, in relationships, in friendships, and just in everyday life.
We did two exercises that I thought were really weird at first, but after I thought about them, I realized how beneficial they were. In the first exercise, the speaker asked each of us to write on a sticky note all the labels people had labeled us, then we stuck them to paper stick figures. It made me realize just how many negative labels I'd had stuck to me and how easy it was to receive them.
For the second exercise, the speaker had us each go to a mirror and stare into our own eyes for 30 seconds, if you couldn't look in your own eyes or even someone else's, he said that there was some shame somewhere in your life. The point of this exercise was to have us create labels for ourselves, to figure out who we are and what we think of ourselves.
The final thing the speaker had us do was pray, he had us all bow our heads and pray quietly with ourselves. He wanted us to pray and allow God to give us a new label, one that would clear away all the others, one that no one could give or take away from us. We then went up and wrote our God-given label on a sticky note and placed it over-top of the others.
Like I said, this was all a bit weird at first, but I recommend you all do this for yourselves. That is the only way you'll actually fully understand what I'm talking about.
God never puts a negative, derogatory, or hurtful label on you. Other kids may label you things at school, you may be bullied, teased, hurt, or isolated among your friends, but God will still call you His daughter/son of the Living God. Your parents can even label you labels like "irresponsible, dumb, ignorant, the oldest, dyslexic, troubled, depressed, etc." The list goes on and on and on, but I think that's enough for you to get what I'm trying to say.
As many labels as the world tries to, and generally succeeds, put on you, God will only put one. And that is that you are His for all eternity no matter what the world may say. No matter what you've done in your life, it does not matter to Him.
There are things that I've done in my life so unbelievable that I thought God would never want to deal with someone like me and boy, was I wrong. He not only wanted to deal with me, but He chased after me and pounded on my heart's door until I cracked the door just enough that His healing light burst in and saved me just in the nick of time. I've been labeled so many things that I thought I'd never be free form all of them, but with one word to Jesus, He cleared them all and gave me a new one. His special label made just for me. I am a worshiper - a worshiper in music, in singing, in writing, and in living for my Daddy.
I pray for each and every one of you that you find this wonderful new label, that you allow God to heal you and make you new, and that your life will be turned upside-down when He explodes into your world.
Well, until our next encounter,
~Lauren
