Who doesn’t love a warm, gooey cinnamon roll? Umm. Have you ever wondered, “who thought up that name?”
Cinnamon is only one of 15 ingredients. And not the dominant ingredient at that. In fact, it’s the 3rd smallest! So, why was it labeled cinnamon roll? Wouldn’t sugar roll or cream cheese roll make more sense?
WHAT’S OUR LABEL?
We, like the cinnamon roll, have labels based on our ingredients. What we see, hear and experience are all ingredients that mix into our hearts and minds to form our character. Then we, or others, label us according to an experience or characteristic like “Slim,” “Champ” or “Sweetie.”
How about labels from our family and long-term friends? They usually stick us with affectionate labels. However, it is often the experiences, positive or negative, that have lasted only a short period of our lives that seem to be the dominant labels we wear. It’s like labeling a cinnamon roll after the small ingredient of cinnamon.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO CHANGE YOUR LABEL?
Doesn’t the label “cinnamon roll” evoke images of a warm and sweet roll?
It’s a positive label for a mixture of both sweet and not so sweet ingredients. Aren’t our lives a mixture of sweet and not so sweet ingredients? Yet, unlike the cinnamon roll, the labels we often wear are from the not so sweet ingredients.
Like emphasizing a different ingredient would change the label of the roll, we can change our labels too. Yes, we may have had some negative experiences, but we can still emphasize the positive. Can you see how the Lord has used an experience to produce positive results in our hearts or for some other good? Perhaps we gained more courage, patience, faith or helped someone else. Aren’t those all positive? So, let’s change our labels to reflect the positive!
Divorcee? Label yourself Strong!
Cancer? Label yourself Courageous!
Victim? Label yourself Overcomer!
Impoverished? Label yourself Resourceful!
Unsticking our labels can be challenging. But with a new perspective, a helping hand and a little faith we can unstick them! When by faith we see ourselves through the perspective of Jesus’ loving eyes and reach for His helping hand, we can remove the old label and become someone new.
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation;
old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new,
2 Corinthians 5:17
WHAT’S OUR NEW LABEL?
If we want a new label, Jesus is the master of changes. He can change our life and our label.
Here are some of the labels Jesus has for you.
But God, who is rich in mercy,
because of His great love with which He loved us,
Ephesians 2:4
To the praise of the glory of His grace,
by which He made us accepted in the Beloved,
Ephesians 1:6
Behold what manner of love
the Father has bestowed on us,
that we should be called children of God!
1 John 3:1a
Can a woman forget her nursing child,
And not have compassion on the son of her womb?
Surely, they may forget. Yet I will not forget you.
See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands;
Your walls are continually before Me,
Isaiah 49:15-16
But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
Do not fear therefore;
you are of more value than many sparrows,
Luke 12:7
CALL A FRIEND
Would you like an earthly perspective too? Then pick up that phone and call a trusted friend! When we ask them to make a list of 3 good things about us, it will give us another loving perspective. Then as we see ourselves through the loving eyes of Jesus and a trusted friend, we can move forward in faith wearing our new labels.
LET’S PEEL OFF THE OLD LABELS
&
STICK ON NEW ONES!
I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Marvelous are Your works,
And that my soul knows very well,
Psalm 139:14
REFLECTION
Do you have a negative label you want to change?
PRAYER
Heavenly Father, as I write Psalm 139:14, and say it aloud, give me Your perspective so that I see myself through Your loving eyes. Help me to change my label. In Jesus name. Amen.
BY FAITH, CHANGE YOUR LABEL
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*For information on making Jesus Christ your Savior, email me or visit, http://www.peacewithgod.net/
Photo rolls, Jackie Pitts
Photo girl, miltonhuallpa95
Photos squirrels, Ennif Pendahl, Tim Tonic
