Breaking Free From Labels & Finding Identity in Christಮಾದರಿ

Key Verse: “The tongue has the power of life and death.” Proverbs 18:21 (NIV)

“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” We’ve all heard it, but it’s simply not true. Words stick. Labels stay. Some we’ve picked up from others, some we’ve spoken over ourselves.

I was born premature — tiny, yet a fighter. That label — fighter — was spoken over me at birth. But so were other labels: unloved, unworthy, unwanted. My birth father gave up his rights. My mom battled addiction. And I internalized it all. I believed I was too much, yet somehow never enough.

The Bible is full of people who carry painful labels. Think of Leah. She was labeled “unwanted” by her husband Jacob, who loved her sister Rachel more (Genesis 29:31). God saw her pain. He opened her womb and gave her children, showing her she was not forgotten.

Like Leah, God sees us beyond our labels. He calls us by name, not by our shame.

Reflection Questions:

• What negative labels have you believed about yourself?
• Can you recall the source of these labels?
• Who said them?
• When did they start?

Prayer: Father, reveal the labels I’ve carried that aren’t from You. Help me see the truth of who You say I am. Heal the wounds words have left behind. Amen.