Divine Intentions: God’s Plan For Your FutureSample

REMOVING LABELS

We are never less like God than when we label someone. When we judge based on outward appearance, we are representing the lowest part of our nature. It reveals more about the one judging than the one being judged—and it causes the latter to retreat into a shell of self-hatred. Labels diminish personal potential, while love increases it. 

The truth is, we may judge others out of our fear of being judged ourselves. But when we believe in people, when we look at their hearts, we are emulating God, Himself. Loving people despite their rough outward layers opens divine possibilities.

Every one of us has experienced the pain of a label. Someone pointed at you and called out what they thought they saw, mercilessly summing you up with a single word, phrase, or sentence. They delivered their lie like a boxer delivers a punch. It stuck and left a mark. 

Labels are this fallen world’s attempt to contradict what God has said about you. In Genesis 3, the devil first tells Eve a lie about God, opening the door for more lies. Keep in mind, Adam and Eve knew nothing but the truth. They couldn’t even conceive of lying. The devil promises them enlightenment and equality, but gives them shame and insecurity. He replaces their purity with the strong stickiness of self-doubt. Now he can label them and they can label themselves. Sin opens the door and a flood of falsehoods rush in. Labels have been sticking to mankind ever since. 

“Who told you that you were naked?” (Genesis 3:11) is not just God’s question to Adam and Eve. It’s His question to us. This seemingly obvious question—to which God knew the answer—made it into the Bible for a reason. God knew this story would resonate with us when we read it. He knew we would sense our nakedness and feel shame when we rebelled against His Word. God knew we would listen to the wrong voices when it came to our self-worth.

God is still asking us to honor His voice above others’ and our own. God wants to stop the lies and remove all the labels. It is crucial that we stop listening to the enemy’s minimization of God’s love for us. God is the only one who knows who we really are. He sees our nakedness and loves us anyway.