More Than a Label

We love to assign labels to things. 

   Sweet pickles

   Blue socks

   Last year’s sweaters

   Last year’s income tax

   Christmas cards 2009

Sometimes we label people.

Don’t you hate that?  I do.  What I want to say when someone begins labeling me is this:  “I’m a human being.  I may be different from you, but I’m not a label.  I am a person with my own mind, my own history, and my own way of thinking things through.  

Here is what we are ... we are fellow human beings.  We want respect, attention, acceptance and validation, just like everyone else. 

I could never imagine God putting a label on us or separating us into categories. 

Let’s see …

The smart ones go here.

The left-wingers over here.

The slightly stooped on this side.

You deaf and dumb, go stand over by that rock.

No!

     No!

         No!

Carolyn and I just finished reading Philip Yancey’s book What’s So Amazing about Grace.  Philip says this, “for Jesus, we are more important than any label.”

What a refreshing thought.  We’re not a label to God.

What we are is this …

-We are created in God’s image

-He calls us by name.

-He has a future with hope mapped out for each of us.

God can take any label mankind has placed on us and remove the stigma, clean us up, put us back on our feet and set us in a new direction.

I like a God like that.

I am more than a label.

And so are you!

That is an empowering thought.

P Michael Biggs

Offering Hope

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