It's Not Who You Are But Whose You Are

"So now you are not a slave; you are God's child, and God will give you the blessing he promised, because you are his child."
- Galatians 4:7

When you're little, everyone asks you "What are you going to be when you grow up?"

When you're in college, everyone asks "What's your major?"

When you're a grown up, everyone says "What do you do?"

We love labels. They help us make sense of things. They make things nice and neat. There's only one problem: most labels don't last.

In fact, there's really only one label that does. The fact that we are a child of God's. Really think about that. First and foremost, you and I are children of God. For those of you who are parents, you can easily understand how awesome this concept is. No matter how much your kids whine, or complain, or draw on your kitchen countertops with markers, you love them. You provide for them. You would literally die for them. Sure, you get mad at them, too. But stop loving them? It ain't happening.

So God tells us that our first label is that we are his kids and the rest is just details. Unfortunately, we focus and fret on the details.

There are many labels that I love: I'm a husband. A father. A writer. A basketball fanatic.

There are many labels I wish I didn't have: I look funny. I don't have much hair. I can't dunk.

In short, I'm a picker. A grinner. A lover. And a sinner.

But all those lablels, even the best of those, will never truly satisfy. In some way they all fall short. But despite this fact, we put so much energy into getting our labels just right. But God tells us we're just fine as we are...because we're His.

This came up recently when a couple of good friends of mine were discussing Donald Miller's Blue Like Jazz (pg. 231, to be exact, if you're interested). In it, Miller makes a profound comment on Jesus' core message to "Love Thy Neighbor As Yourself." So many of us are kind, compassionate and giving to our neighbors (as we should be) but when it comes to ourselves, much less so. One of my friends, who is about as warm and giving and awesome a person as I know, was telling us that this concept floored her. It was because it was so true.

She gives so much to others that she often has nothing left for herself. She's compassionate and forgiving to others, but can't forgive herself if her cupcakes don't end up "perfect." This is a true example. And it seemed funny to me at first...c'mon it's just cupcakes.

Only it's not just cupcakes, to her in that moment. It's a label. It's a reminder that she has fallen short. That she's not good enough.

But as God reminds us, that label just simply is not true. We ALL are good enough, because we are his chosen ones. He made us. He loves us. And no other label can change that or replace that one.