Who Are You Without Labels?
How God's Presence Helps Us See Ourselves More Clearly
Recently, I was taking a shower when something caught my attention.
Next to the body wash, sat a bottle of baby oil, its labels rolled up next to it.
Over time, the oil had dripped onto the outside of the bottle, causing the labels to peel free.
What struck me wasn’t the missing labels.
It was how clean the bottle had become.
Without the labels covering it, I could clearly see what was inside.
And because I do some of my best thinking in the shower and my brain rarely takes a time out, I immediately began reflecting on how much of life is spent trying to understand who we are through the labels we wear.
Labels that cover up what’s really inside.
Almost from birth, labels begin to stick to us.
Some are given by family.
Some by friends.
Some by teachers, churches, social media, culture, or our own experiences.
Labels like:
Successful.
Failure.
Smart.
Difficult.
Too loud.
Too quiet.
As we age, some of those labels start to really stick, their gummy adhesive almost impossible to remove. And then, we pick up additional ones along the way.
Divorced.
Addict.
Popular.
Outcast.
Black.
White.
Conservative.
Progressive.
Leader.
Follower.
Some labels are positive.
Others leave wounds.
But eventually, something strange happens.
We stop seeing them as labels and start seeing them as who we are: our identity.
They become how we define ourselves, our limitations, and our potential; and they become the litmus test of how we allow others to see us.
Over time, our labels pile up, making it more and more difficult to see what’s inside.
But Psalm 23 says, “You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.”
Throughout Scripture, oil is often associated with God’s presence, blessing, protection, and healing.
As I looked at that baby oil bottle with its labels curled around it, I recognized that’s what God wants to do for us. He wants His truth of who we are in Him to drip over us, peeling away every lie, every, false narrative, and every label until all that’s left is clean and pure.
Throughout my own healing journey, I’ve identified several labels I’d used to define myself: perfectionist, mixed, opinionated, no fun, responsible, leader.
Some are true.
Others are not.
But none of them were ever meant to become my identity.
And neither are yours.
But let’s be honest, it’s a lot easier to identify and name our labels than it is to start peeling them off. That becomes sticky.
But I’ve learned that while we can’t avoid the mess, we can invite God into the process.
Spending time with Him slowly loosens our labels (if we let Him.)
Not all at once.
Not dramatically.
But little by little, they start losing their grip.
The label that says your past is your identity.
The label that says you’ll never be enough.
The label that says your worth is tied to your performance.
The label that says you’re defined by what happened to you.
The label that says you’ll always be who you’ve always been.
And as those labels begin to peel away, something beautiful happens.
We can finally see ourselves more clearly.
Not through the lens of our wounds.
Not through the opinions of others.
Not through our successes or failures.
But through the eyes of the One who created us.
Because when the labels fell off that bottle, the contents didn’t change.
The oil was still there.
It was just hidden by its labels.
The same is true for many of us.
God wants to peel every label away to reveal who you were before…
Before the shame.
Before the rejection.
Before the expectations.
Before the fear.
Before the lies.
He wants to remind you that you were never the labels placed on you.
Your identity has always ever been in Whose you are: His child.
Yes, we know that’s where our identity should be rooted.
But everything changes when we courageously let God start peeling.
For the first time, we can see ourselves the way God always has.
Fully known.
Fully loved.
Fully His.
And when that happens, everything else becomes much more clear.
Reflection Question
What label have you carried for so long that you’ve mistaken it for your identity?
What would change if you began seeing yourself through God’s eyes instead?
What’s one brave step you can take today to let God start loosening the corner of your label?
Hi! I’m Torrie. Thanks for stopping by.
If this article encouraged you, provided language for what you’re feeling,
or challenged you, I’d love to hear your story in a comment below.
One label I will attach to myself gladly is INCOMPLETE. I continue to be a work in progress, although time is rapidly running out.