Who are you?
No, really, who do you think you are?
When was the last time you truly asked yourself this question? Have you ever asked yourself this question?
Is it a daunting notion? To sit and think about who you really are?
Who’s voice do you hear when you ponder the thought?
Is it your parents? Your siblings? A teacher? An ex-boyfriend? Who’s voice do you hear?
Is it that critical inner voice that never seems to give you a break?
Is it God’s voice?
The Weight of False Labels
Think about it. When you sit and think about who you are, is the first voice you hear God’s voice? Or God’s words?
When you think about who you are, does that bring joy? Or does the thought bring you down?
Do you have such high expectations for yourself that the mere thought brings nothing but disappointment because you’re not who you wish you were?
Who set that standard? Who’s expectations are you trying to meet and why are you trying to meet them?
Those are a lot of questions, and they can be quite heavy. I know they are for me. But they are the questions we must ponder if we are going to break free from false labels.
To be honest with you the first words that come to mind when I think about the question, Who am I?, are not God’s words. The answers that first flood my thoughts are not from His Word.
Let’s first start with the easy ones. I’m a mom. I’m a wife. I’m a daughter, a sister, and a friend. I’m black, I’m a Christian, I’m an introvert, I am [insert label here].
Those are important things about myself but they are not the essence of who I am. We live in a day and age where people use labels to identify themselves, but the labels we choose are not the sum of who we are, nor are they the most important.
What Does God Say About You?
What has God said about us? What has God said about you?
Do you know? And if you do, do you believe it?
He said that you are His workmanship. Aka a masterpiece. [Eph 2:10].
That’s what He said but I would be the biggest liar in the room to sit here and say that I believe it 100%. And I don’t mean that I don’t believe God, on an intellectual level I believe His Word and I believe what He’s said. But at my core, do I live like I believe He said I am a masterpiece? No, I don’t. Not yet.
But I want to believe it, and I think that you do too.
I want to live like David and believe everything that God has said about me and said that I was capable of, and said that I am worthy of.
I want to redefine every assumption and automatic notion that I have about myself so I can live from the love that God has graciously bestowed on me.
I mean, really think about it. I can believe that Jesus died on the cross for my sins but I can’t believe enough about myself to be free from what other people think. The math is not mathing on that.
And yes, our transformation as followers of Christ is a lifelong process but I don’t want to wait for later in order to live in the freedom that He promised me now.
So what are the false labels that you believe about yourself?
When I was a kid I was very sensitive. I would cry for just about anything. I remember when I was around 7-8 years old we went on a trip to visit my father’s family in New York City and I saw the homeless people on the side of the road.
When I saw them I begged my father, sobbing, that we had to help them. My dad tried to explain that we could not help all of the homeless people but that didn’t stop me from trying to convince him.
I was told repeatedly by people that I was “too sensitive” and that I couldn’t wear my heart on my sleeve and be so easily hurt by people and situations.
Over time, I learned to tuck my heart inside and make sure to not let it show. I learned to build walls to keep my heart protected, but those walls also suffocated it.
Now there is something to be said for having thick skin, and I did eventually learn that I could not help all the homeless people. But I wish that someone had told me how beautiful my sensitivity and deep empathy was. Maybe there was a different way that I could have built that strength, not by shutting people out, but by bringing them in.
What was your label? How have you carried that with you? And is it really true?
Because I now know that my sensitivity is one of my greatest strengths, but I had to discover that on my own.
What were you told that you still believe about yourself? And could you be wrong?
I am not “too sensitive.” I am as sensitive as I need to be to empathize with the people around me, to help the people at my job, and to mother my children the way they need to be.
So what are you seeing as a weakness, that through Christ, is actually your strength?
And believe me, you’ve got more than one.
Being “too sensitive” is not the only label I have had to contend with and I am quite sure you’ve got many of your own.
How to Replace Labels with Truth
The difference between who you are now and who you truly are, is when you hear this label, whether or not you accept it.
You do not have to accept it.
Maybe you were called worthless, or slow, or ugly, or unimportant. Maybe someone told you that your skin color and your culture make you a perpetual victim for the rest of your life.
Maybe someone told you that your past is just who you are now and nothing will ever change.
You do not have to accept that.
You can acknowledge it, you can understand where it came from, you can even say that is who I used to be, but not anymore. Because I know what God says I am. And maybe I don’t 100% believe it today but I will one day. Because that is who I am, and that is who I’m called to be.
Who does God Say You Are?
You are His Daughter.
Galatians 3:26 (CSB):
“For through faith you are all sons of God in Christ Jesus.”
Maybe being a daughter has always been a burden to you in your life but believe me when I say that being God’s daughter, your burden is light.
You Are Brand New.
2 Corinthians 5:17 (CSB):
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and see, the new has come!”
You are not what has happened to you or what you have done. You are something new, something redeemed, and something better.
You Are Chosen.
1 Peter 2:9 (CSB):
“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”
For those who have had to deal with heartbreaking rejection. God chooses you, every single day.
You Are a Work of Art.
Ephesians 2:10 (CSB):
“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do.”
When I read this verse recently I had to stop and think. I’ve never seen a masterpiece in person, like a Di’vinci or Mona Lisa. But I did think about how people treat these pieces of art. They marvel at them. You are something to be marveled at. That’s how God made you.
You Are a Winner.
Romans 8:37 (CSB):
“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”
Let’s be real for a second. Have you ever felt like a loser? I mean, in whatever area of life you are struggling in, have you ever felt like you are constantly losing? I think we all know that feeling a little too well. But it’s not the truth. It might be a fact at the moment, but it’s not the truth of who you are.
You Are an Heir.
Romans 8:17 (CSB):
“And if children, also heirs—heirs of God and coheirs with Christ—if indeed we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.”
If you don’t come from money, and I certainly do not, being an heir is probably a tough one to visualize. Paris Hilton is the first heiress that comes to mind, and while she is not an example that I would follow, the concept becomes a little more understandable to me.
She lives like she deserves everything in the world – at least that’s how it seems.
If we are coheirs with Christ, how much more should we live like that? And I don’t mean from a place of arrogance or entitlement but we are entitled. Not because of what we have done but because of what Christ has done. We are entitled to every gift from God because of the sacrifice of our coheir Christ.
Breaking Free from Labels
So what do you do now? I mean, you can see what God says about you, that’s great, now what?
You take every thought captive, then you replace it with truth.
This is an exercise.
Now, you tell me, what exercise you can do once, or a couple of times, and remain in shape forever?
The answer is none.
This is a daily practice that you will more than likely suck at when you begin. I’m speaking from past and current experience.
Take the thought, then replace it.
Example: “I will always struggle with lustful thoughts.”
Truth: “I am more than a conqueror, so I will win. And if I lost today, I will win tomorrow. Because that is who God says I am.”
Take that thought, take that label, take that belief, and replace it with truth.
Adjust Your Expectations
I am 32 years old and there are labels like “too sensitive” that I have been contending with since I was a child. These changes are unlikely to happen overnight.
If you have spent a lifetime battling the negativity, don’t get discouraged when you don’t see the changes you want in a week. Take it in stride, please.
God will give you the strength that you need, but you’re unlikely to feel it if you are beating yourself up. [again, speaking from experience].
This is a journey, possibly a lifelong one, but the thought of being like David. Completely confident, and unafraid makes the journey worth it.
I want to you think, and if you’re comfortable I want you to share in the comments.
What label are you ready to release, and what truth will you replace it with?
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