You are More
Important
than any Label or Category
Oh
my, how we love to slap labels on things.
A perfectly organized work shop has jars of …
Wing
nuts
Slotted
screws
Phillips-head
screws
Hand-saw
here
Drill
bits here
And
on and on. Everything has a place and
everything is in its place.
We
label things.
Unfortunately,
we label people too. Have you ever worn
a label? I have, and they are no
fun. Here are some I’m worn.
“You’re an accident looking for a place to
happen.”
“You’re clumsy.”
“You can’t do that. You don’t know what you’re doing.”
“You’re fat.”
“You’re lazy.”
Well,
enough.
I
hate labels.
I’ve
been reviewing Philip Yancey’s book What’s
So Amazing about Grace.
I
just read this:
“For Jesus, the person
was more important
than any category or
label.”
I
love that! That Christ should see me as
someone of worth and value. How about
that!
Remember
the woman caught in adultery? The men
who dragged her before Jesus had already labeled and condemned her.
“Whore”
they said.
“Prostitute” claimed another.
“Unfaithful” screamed another.
Christ
said some other words, words that redeemed her.
“Neither do I condemn you. Go and
sin no more.”
Zacchaeus
was another who bore labels. He was a
tax collector, and they were a despised lot.
They were known cheats, swindlers, and the low-life of society.
Christ
came along one day, and this wee man got a new label. Christ invited him into fellowship and
Zacchaeus confessed,
“Lord,
I’ll give half of all I own to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody at any
time, I will pay back four times the amount.”
Christ
made a great response: “Today, salvation has come to this man’s house.”
This
thief and cheat was redeemed, forgiven and changed. No more labels for that man.
King
David, the apple of Gods eye, committed adultery. And he was redeemed and forgiven.
You
see, no matter the label the world slaps on us, God sees us and calls us
“You
are my child, my chosen one.
I
have redeemed you.
I
have called you by name.
You
are Abba’s little girl/boy.”
In
God’s sight, we are His child. We are
the one He loves.
If
we need a label, let it be …
Redeemed
Forgiven
Child
of God
One who experiences the Grace of God.
Hope Encouragement Inspiration
I enjoyed reading your post thanks for sharing it,
ReplyDelete