If you checked out my Instagram stories yesterday, I posted a graphic that I ran across on social media that took negative labels that people place on other people and turned them into a more positive label. For example, the labels that I felt other people had placed on me were "bossy" and "too much". Instead of using those labels, I would look at them more positively by saying I will continue to "lead" and "take up space". Then I asked the question, "what will you do?" At the bottom, I suggested viewers to subscribe to my website. One viewer instead of answering my question, asked their own..."where is God and a Christ-like demeanor in all of this?"
Clearly, I wasn't expecting this to happen. Unsure of my response, I decided to look further in scripture and try my best to figure out the best answer in my opinion to the question "when it comes to placing labels on other people, where is God and a Christ-like demeanor in all of this?"
On the surface...the answer is simple...He isn't. So, why associate my website (jesusjavajewels) with a graphic that doesn't have God in it? Much like anything else in life, you can't merely scratch the surface to find the answer that you are looking for...instead you have to dig deep. Matthew 7:12 is a passage we learn early on in our walk with Christ. Even non-believers know the Golden Rule... which is do unto others as you would have them do
unto you. Early in this same chapter, I am reminded that Jesus said, "Judge not, that ye not be judged. For with that judgement, ye judge, ye shall be judged." My goodness...I caution myself to not judge other people.
By placing labels on each other, we are essentially opening ourselves to being judged. By following the Golden Rule, we keep ourselves from labeling others with un-Christ-like labels. In the case of my graphic, I have always thought that the best way to truly be yourself is by helping someone else be themselves. Seeing the infinite beauty that God has created in others will only help us to recognize our own God given beauty. Instead of applying labels to each other, we should recognize that no matter what the qualities are i.e. bossy, leading, too much, taking up space, etc...we are all formed in His imagine and those qualities are unique. So, to answer my viewer's question,"when it comes to placing labels on other people, where is God and a Christ-like demeanor in all of this?" At some point in our lives, we are all going to fall on either side of the graphic. I truly believe that it is a privilege to be the individual that God created.
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