TITLE: REMOVING LABELS AND EMBRACING THE REAL YOU

The bible verse for today’s devotional is: Genesis 35:18 (NIV)

“As she breathed her last—for she was dying—she named her son Ben-Oni.[a] But his father named him Benjamin.”

Devotional 

Labels are words that often categorise or define people based on appearances, behaviours or characters.. They could sometimes be negative or positive and could impact how the person is perceived or treated.

David was called "too small" by his father Jesse who did not give him any opportunity to be more than a shepherd boy but guess what? He became the king of Israel.

 Rachel, the wife of Jacob, named her son Ben-Oni, or "son of my sorrows," but Jacob changed his name to Benjamin, which means "son of strength, son of power, son of my right hand."

Jabez was named by his mother “sorrowful" or “born in pain” because his birth was very difficult. This label plagued him for a good part of his life until he prayed to God and his story changed.

Labels and stereotypes can influence how individuals perceive themselves and construct their identity. When people are consistently negatively labelled based on looks, race, tribe, character, gender, or socio-economic status, e,t,c, they may internalise these perceptions and incorporate them into their sense of self.

Negative labels erode self-esteem and self-worth. Being constantly exposed to messages that reinforce stereotypes can lead people to doubt their abilities and worth. They also create limiting beliefs about what individuals are capable of achieving.  For example, some people view girls as being unable to thrive in the field of engineering while they think boys are not suited to study nursing. How wrong that can be!

 Here are a few reflective questions:

1. Have I been negatively labelled or I labelled myself? Have I labelled anyone? Are they empowering or disempowering labels?
2. How do these labels make me feel, and how have they influenced my self-image?
3. Am I under pressure to conform to societal expectations or stereotypes in order to fit in or gain acceptance? How did this affect my sense of authenticity and belonging?

Let us pray:

Oh Lord, help me to build resilience against negative name calling. Help me Lord to know my worth daily.

Please say these words of affirmation. Say them, mean them, own them and live them

I will not be moved by any negative names or labels. I am worthy.

I am not what people call me but what I say I am which is what God says I am.

Go prove to the world that you are worthy. Yes, you can do it. Take good care of yourself and see you tomorrow

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