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We’re busy people.
I work full time. I’m married. I try to write and blog and
connect on social media. I have a house to take care of. I try to maintain some
sort of social life outside of Facebook too.
connect on social media. I have a house to take care of. I try to maintain some
sort of social life outside of Facebook too.
We all have so many responsibilities, so many hats we wear.
Sometimes, we throw extra hats on our heads—these hats are usually nothing but
extra pressure we place on ourselves to succeed.
Sometimes, we throw extra hats on our heads—these hats are usually nothing but
extra pressure we place on ourselves to succeed.
And each of these hats has a label that we use to define
ourselves.
ourselves.
For me, it’s labels like
Wife
Sister
Daughter
Friend
Writer
Rejected Writer
Editor
Teacher
Desperate Dieter
Singer
Doggy Mama
Imperfect Perfectionist
Cook
Housemaid
And the list goes on and on…
But what if, instead of all of THOSE labels, we started
thinking of ourselves not in terms of what we do…and the success we garner…but
rather in terms of WHOSE we are?
thinking of ourselves not in terms of what we do…and the success we garner…but
rather in terms of WHOSE we are?
What if instead we wore hats with labels like
Daughter/Son of the King
Triumphant in Him
Beloved of the Father
Precious in His Sight
Spotless and Clean
Worthy of Love
What effect would it have on our lives to change out the
labels that define us? I think it’s a pretty safe bet that the disappointments
we feel, the lack of success, the lows, the embarrassments—might fade in the
light of His glory.
labels that define us? I think it’s a pretty safe bet that the disappointments
we feel, the lack of success, the lows, the embarrassments—might fade in the
light of His glory.
Yep. A pretty safe bet indeed.
Your Turn: What
labels do you wear that you want to replace? What would you replace it with?
labels do you wear that you want to replace? What would you replace it with?
*Next week, I’ll resume my Names
of God series. Sorry I took a few weeks off, but God just placed some cool
stuff in my mind and on my heart to share.
of God series. Sorry I took a few weeks off, but God just placed some cool
stuff in my mind and on my heart to share.
**Photo by Sira Anamwong
Ahhhh…I love this. I read a devotional recently that talked about thinking of myself as a "who, not a do." So good. I get frustrated when I'm at my day job and can't seem to shake off my writer hat–or when I'm home from work but the day job hat feels glued on my head. 🙂
But if I would stop thinking of myself in terms of what I'm doing, and like you said, whose I am, it'd be sooo different. Love it! Thanks, Linds!
You know I know how you feel about the day job and writer hats…how I wish I could chuck the first one and keep the second on all the time…God's timing, right, friend? 🙂
My thought life can get really messy and here is where I'd love to replace not good enough with MINE.
~ Wendy
Love that one, Wendy. I tend to put myself down all the time in my own mind and feel inadequate, but God sees me as His creation, which makes me just who I need to be.
I wear a lot of hats and I juggle a lot of balls. Sometimes I have to lay them all down at the foot of the cross and just revel in the Light of Whose I am. I know I can't lay my hats down forever – there are dishes to wash, mouths to feed, clothes to fold – but after I've spent time with Jesus, He gives me the strength to pick everything up again. My trouble comes when I don't stop to bask in His glory, but continue on in my strength. It's easier to remember Whose I am, when I take the time to spend with Him.
Good point, Gabe. It's so much easier to shift our perspective when we put God at the center and we're spending time with him daily.
Oh my goodness…you are so busy! I've never liked labels anyway so I try not to consciously wear any "hats" though that sneaky subconscious can get in the way. Heh.
I do enjoy the chocolate lover, book lover label. Makes me feel good. 🙂
Daughter of the King feels pretty awesome too.
I forgot to put book lover too! But I am most definitely that. If I didn't take time to read, I think I'd go crazy with everything else I have going on!
Reminds me Amy Grant's song "Hats". "One day I'm a mother, next day I'm a lover…what am I supposed to do?"
So true!!
I wear so many hats:
mom
wife
teacher
writer
artist
…and so on.
One of those hats is coming off soon. "Mom". My son will be an adult next year and my official mom job will be done. Sniff.
But I will put on a new hat as "counselor/mom" and one day "Grandma". Yay!
So, you are right. We need to cherish the labels God gave us. I am a citizen of heaven! An heir to the throne of Christ. I am redeemed!
Great post Lindsay!
I don't think I've heard that Amy Grant song. Sweet! And you're right, sometimes we take off certain hats only to put on others. I want to remain more focused on WHOSE I am than those roles, though, and that can be such a challenge.
I guess I could list all of the hats that I wear during the day, but really, they would still just be part of one big hat – Loree – Child of God.
Great post, Lindsay!
I love how you said that, Loree, and I love how you personalized it. God has individual labels for each of us, doesn't He?
What a beautiful post, Lindsay, and what an important message. Taking a heavenly view of my hat rack offers a much-needed shift in my perspective.
It can be soooo hard to keep a heavenly perspective. I get caught up in the earthly details and spin my wheels until I'm blue in the face. But remembering that what really matters helps me to reorient.
If anyone ever called me doggy mama I'd punch them dead in the face! LOL
Loved this post, my friend. Beautiful!!
Bwahahaha! You are so silly. No one in their right mind would do that, huh? Nope. 😉
Love you!
Love this – I actually was going to name my blog originally Many Hats. I can totally identify with being pulled in so many directions. It is a good reminder that we need to focus first on our relationship to God.
You definitely juggle so many hats and are soooo busy, girl! But yes, focusing on Him can bring things back into perspective. So needed.
I endure my own label giving. Which is stupid, to label myself with something negative.
I'd change "almost important" to "to die for".
Love that choice! And yes, I think we often give ourselves labels based on what we've been told about ourselves and what we've believed about ourselves.
Lindsay, I'm late stopping by, but so glad I did. Hats and labels are such a huge issues! And our lists can be staggering, can't they? I just got dizzy reading yours. 🙂 I find that sometimes I can hide behind one hat's label to keep me from committing to tasks that perhaps God is nudging me to do, but I'm fighting it. Like wearing the "too busy" hat instead of volunteering. That's not a had I'm very proud to wear. But, oh, that second list of hats brings immeasurable hope and love. Those are the hats I need, but my head sometimes is too crowded with hats from the first list. Perhaps, I need more than one head. 🙂
I get dizzy looking at my list too, Donna! And I didn't even include everything I could have… 🙂
Love what you said about hiding behind one hat's label to avoid another. So true, isn't it? I think if we focus on the second list, perhaps that wouldn't be so quick to happen.