Check Your Labels

Labels...our world is bombarded with labels. Labels shape our attitudes and drive our actions. Whether it's what we buy at the grocery store or how we treat people, labels are a powerful influence in our lives.

We consider a person wearing a cross necklace a Christian until they do something ungracious, then we label them a hypocrite. Our kindly neighbor with a well-manicured yard is Mr. Rogers until he displays the "wrong" political sign in his yard; he then becomes the fiendish Mr. Hyde and is dubbed the neighborhood wacko! What about women who wear designer clothes? We may label an apparent "fashionista" a rich girl, spoiled, socialite, or snob before discovering she frequents thrift stores. Yes, we can make a label out of almost anything.

Many years ago the location of my house provided me an interesting label. One of my elementary school friends wanted to invite me to her birthday party but, according to her mother, I was "from the wrong side of the tracks." I was the only one in our four-girl group that didn't live in the country club section of town. I guess the label stuck because once we left elementary school, I was never accepted by them again.

It's obvious that Jesus didn't label people. His life may have been easier if He had, but look who He chose to associate  with...a bug-eating man from the wilderness, smelly fishermen, dishonest tax collectors, a Pharisee named Nicodemus, and a rich man from Arimathea. Jesus looked into the hearts of people who could've easily been labeled wilderness weirdo, working-class low life, politician, holy-roller, and arrogant snob. But Jesus loved them despite who they were and, first and foremost, they were sinners. I guess "sinner" could be consider a label, but for Jesus it was (and still is) a label of love; it's a label that fits everyone. It's a label you and I wear.

We've all assigned labels at one time or another. Sometimes we even label ourselves. Those labels can be painful when we see ourselves as unlovable, unforgivable, junk, dirty, or ugly. Have you ever stamped one of those hurtful titles on your forehead? Practical Christianity tells us that God didn't make a mistake when He formed each and every one of us in the womb. Plus, He loves us more than we will ever comprehend in this life. Whether we accept it or not, it's God's good pleasure to love and forgive us again and again as long as we have faith in Jesus and try our best to reflect Him. That's a little thing called grace.

Have you ever pasted an exaggerated label on your head? I have, but let's default to the Bible for an example. There's a humorous illustration in Luke 14 that discusses our propensity to over-label ourselves with the positive. The gist of the story is not to overly express our worth by seating ourselves in a place of honor at a wedding banquet. It's much less embarrassing to sit in a lesser seat and be invited to a more honorable one later than to be asked to vacate that great seat for someone else considered more deserving. That's a very simple commentary, but I think you understand the meaning.

Labels belong on things like clothes, bedspreads, food, and storage bins...not  people. We should never assume we know others intimately enough to start slapping labels on their heads. Our natural inclinations are to under-label or over-label ourselves and those around us. God is the only one who truly understands us enough to see our hearts.

James 2 offers words of wisdom when we find ourselves tempted to treat people according to the labels we might assign. James uses the example of clothing to illustrate his point. We are not to favor a well-dressed person over a "poor person in dirty clothes" if both visit our church. To show partiality to one over the other is to "commit sin" and be "convicted by the law as transgressors." Yikes, I'd rather avoid that, wouldn't you?

In closing, I'd like to leave you with one more real life illustration. While in training for my new job at the dry cleaner, one of the employees told me that Mr. So-and-So is rich so I need to treat him really well when he pops in. Without hesitation I said, "I treat all my customers well. I'll treat him like everyone else." I'm slowly "getting it."

Labels are okay as long as they relate to things, but check your labels when it comes to people. The only label we should have for others is the label of love; the same label Jesus has for us.

(c)2008 Shona Neff

Comments

[Julie Arduini]

Shona,
This was amazing. I told Noelle yesterday I was praying on my Finding Freedom column and knew it was about surrendering status, but needed more from God on it. Reading your article, it was total confirmation I am on the right track.

I also blog for the Christian Writers Forum blog on Sundays and linked my column Sunday to this one. I think it is rich in content and a wonderful message we all should embrace.

Well done!

[Venus]

Shona~ this kind of goes with the mean girls thing we were talking about. Sierra actually took pictures to school to show her "friends" she HAD actually been to Disneyland after the subject came up one day because they did not belive her. Why did they not believe her? Because we live in a one story house not a large one like they do so obviously we do not have enough money to take a trip like that! Can you believe it? These are 9 year old girls! They start soo young! Thanks for the message.