Labels. Names. Some good. Some bad. Some easy to shake off. Some scarred onto the heart. There was a time when I let the labels others gave me sew into my soul and define me. I always took on the negative labels and allowed them to permeate my self-confidence, worth, and belief. No matter what positive labels people placed upon me, the negative would always win out. Sucker punched by names, some of which many of us face and some of which are not FCC compatible.
Even with a life firmly rooted in faith, the names can still seep into my mind and allow myself to spiral down the rabbit hole of pain and doubt. But they shouldn’t. I am first and foremost, Sarah, a princess, the daughter of a King. If this is who I am first and I daily am graced with new mercies, why would any other name matter? It only matters if I let it. If I let the world break past my faithful assurance, I am prone to hurt, prone to take on the labels that come from the world and come from myself.
As we learn from Ruth, Naomi, in her hurt and exhaustion, gives herself the name Mara. She has seen her life go from Pleasant to Bitter. In the pain of losing her husband and sons, she returns to her birthplace a broken woman. Through the great plan of God and through her daughter-in-law Ruth, she is restored. Ruth too is restored by her humble faith and becomes the mother in the lineage of Christ. They are restored. They are redeemed. The only names they need are beloved.
When we allow the world to enter our hearts and minds and give us any label other than those given to us by God, we are contributing to our own downfall. We can break away from these names, these labels. We can write the Word on our hearts and surround ourselves with the message that we are loved beyond measure. We are Fearfully and Wonderfully Made. We are restored. We are worthy. We are ALL daughters of the King. This is the best label of all.
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