Welcome! Come on in for a lovely cuppa together while we reflect upon all manner of things. Today I thought we would take a look at Labels with their positive & negative implications. 

But first let’s grab our cuppa’s, treats & get comfy. I’m enjoying a Caramel Latté with a toasted slice of my home baked gf Apple & Blueberry Almond loaf. What are you having my friend?

Now we’re settled with our cuppa’s let’s begin…

What is a label anyway? The definition is;

‘a tag inscribed and affixed to something for identification or description.’

Scratchy Labels

Have you noticed how irritating some clothing labels can be? I’ve been noticing just how uncomfortable they are at collar height on the back of my neck.

You see those of us who have Fibromyalgia (FM) experience heightened skin sensitivity then those who don’t & little things like clothing labels can actually cause pain.

But there’s a quandary; do I simply cut the labels off & unpick the stitching so they’re no longer a discomfort or do I try & position them in a way that they don’t cause irritation. Hmmm!

It seems a simple choice but actually it’s not as simple as it sounds! For if I need to reorder that item of clothing I need the  brand, size & style of that item which is all recorded on that irritating little label! 

And if I take all the labels off then all I’ll have is a jar full of labels without knowing which belongs to which item of clothing!

Thus this set me to wondering; are labels actually necessary?

Labels, Necessary or Not? 

First let’s look at the definition of labels regarding people;

 ‘ A classifying phrase or name applied to a person for identification or description…that may be inaccurate’

That’s an interesting definition, don’t you think? 

Did you know that we all have labels with many self imposed through our inner narrative? These can be either positive or negative, helping us to grow & mature or conversely holding us back from further growth. 

In my inner narrative I have the following labels, taken from words spoken to me by my loved ones, one is that I’m a loving wife, another is that I’m a loving mother & nanny. These labels encourage me to continue to grow in God’s love & to pass that love on. 

However, decades ago someone slapped a label upon me, which unfortunately became a part of my inner narrative when I was a young woman with very little life experience. This label had tagged certain aspects of my appearance & sadly for years I thought this was true.

However, as I matured I realised that these weren’t truth but a cruel tag from a person with their own unaddressed issues. Thus I cut that label off & replaced it with God’s truth!

Labels that Define us

There are different catergories of labels that become attached to us. Let’s look at some examples;

There are Title labels; wife/mother, husband/father, daughter/sister, son/brother, friend or foe to name a few.

And Temperament labels; loving, caring, compassionate, generous, giving, peaceful & patient. Or fearful, anxious, angry, impatient, grouchy, agitated or self centred.

Then there are Career labels as well as Medical labels; diagnoses that are necessary to access treatment for ongoing wellbeing.

But the main question here is;

Do these labels truely define who we are?

That’s an interesting question to ponder…don’t you think?

As seen in my example above we can allow a false label slapped upon us to define a part of our inner narrative or we can replace it with the beautiful truth of God;

Titles

• We are sons & daughters of the Living God  (Romans 8: 14)
• Joint Heirs with His Son, Jesus Christ (Romans 8: 16-17)

Temperament 

• Loving
• Joyful
• Peaceful
• Kind
• Faithful
• Patient
• Gentle
• Self-controlled 

You see these aren’t just labels but actual promises & facets of the Holy Spirit’s work within those who have relationship with God through His Son, Jesus Christ (Prayer).

As the following scripture states;

‘But the fruit of the Spirit [the result of His presence within us] is love [unselfish concern for others],

joy, [inner] peace, patience [not the ability to wait, but how we act while waiting],

kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness & self-control...’

Galatians 5:  22-23 AMP

So may we allow the Holy Spirit to continually define us through His inner workings & may we grow in Him day by day.

How’s your inner narrative going my friend? Do you need to cut any negative labels off that you may have & replace them with God’s truth?

Until next time,

Jennifer

You’re most welcome to join me in The Reading Nook

Or in Prayer

---

© 2024 Jennifer M. Ross, All Rights Reserved.  Photos by Ron Lach & Mikael Blomkvist on pexels.com

Blog Party link