LABELED!

Have you ever considered the importance and influence of LABELS? Do you realize that due to improper LABELS, multiple tragedies occur every single day in lives and situations all over the world? Whenever this is compounded and surrounding circumstances allow, the LABELS given to some individuals will push them toward some violent action that will only harm others. Do you understand what I am saying? Please think with me further…

Certainly, we all must have ways to identify and distinguish the many things in our lives. No doubt, you have some understanding of the importance of personal organization if you hope to avoid problems and function more efficiently. When dealing with similar things, it is quite helpful to LABEL them, so as to avoid misuse. Think of how confusing and harmful it would be to have various medicines UN-LABELED. What if the basic chemicals you use in cleaning or even cooking are not LABELED? You can imagine the problems and even the resulting tragedies when there are no LABELS or improperly LABELED products! What person in our technological and media driven age has not struggled at some point to use or even find 😉 a certain remote? When you do have the remote in your hand, you must find and understand the LABEL on each button to be able to use and most effectively use the equipment. Yes, LABELS are important and even necessary to help things function efficiently and to prevent unnecessary confusion and the problems certain to follow.

I trust you understand the obvious points I am making here. Think with me a bit further, as it relates to the way we “LABEL” every day, and how this psychologically impacts people. Yes, bad behavior should be LABELED as such, so that children and less mature adults can learn. Yet, what happens when people are improperly LABELED? Some may not care and mature adults will keep it in the proper perspective, yet most people really are impacted by the LABELS people around them give to them. Most often, it initially happens quickly and in a snapshot of time from the larger context of a life. It is indeed tragic when parents or adults in authority discourage children by improperly and “absolutely” LABELING them. It is also tragic when people in positions of authority where you work stoop to similar methods of improperly LABELING: “You’re just too stupid or ignorant to understand or handle this!” “You will NEVER do what you should!” “You ALWAYS mess things up!” The less mature the one LABELED is or unskillful in coping, the more damage the LABELING will bring.

A deeper issue this reveals is the particular prejudice one has in a given area. Which of us has all knowledge about everything and everyone? Yes, we can properly judge certain situations and can and should even judge certain behavior. Yet, we had best be very careful at how we judge and LABEL things, particularly people, who are always changing and growing. I know something of the impact of improper LABELS. I have been the recipient of numerous and poorly investigated LABELS by religious, psychological and legal authorities. It has brought about the tragedy in my life and family, yet it is what is allowing you to read this article, and many to be helped by the book I just published.

Friend, the spiritual reality is that we all are already LABELED—we are born separated from GOD and our choice to remain on a path of separation (sin) is what makes us CONDEMNED. Jesus said in John 3:18: “He who believes in Him [GOD] is not condemned, but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God [Jesus Christ].” It is only in your personally trusting GOD’s solution to this condemnation—the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ as your substitute for sin’s punishment—that you can escape this condemnation, which leads to multiple tragedies in your life now and, upon your death, a most certain tragedy of eternal separation from GOD in an everlasting hell. Scripture teaches there is “no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1ff). When you are LABELED “not condemned” by GOD (part of what “justified” means), it will not really matter what LABEL other people give you, for all other person’s opinions are not omniscient or ultimately authoritative, as is the LORD GOD’s opinion. There is MUCH MORE GOOD for those who are LABELED “in Christ!” 😀