Good morning, Five Minute Families. Thank you for joining us today. We are Jim and Kim Nestle with Clear View Retreat, located in beautiful East Tennessee. We want to encourage your family to live lives pleasing to the Lord. That involves being intentional in how you relate to one another. And, one of the ways folks relate is to label each other. Labeling can actually have both negative and positive effects, so let’s break down the labeling process over the next two weeks, and see how we need to only label in God-honoring ways.

Have you heard phrases like: “Don’t label me,” “I don’t do labels,” “Don’t put your labels on me,” or “I don’t want to be labeled?” All of those are demonstrating the very real heart attitude for a need to be seen as the unique and wonderful individuals we each are. Labeling a person can possibly restrict their potential. God has a plan and a purpose for every single human being on this earth, and if we insult someone with a label meant to belittle or restrict them, then we are dishonoring God.

If you do an internet search with the keyword phrase “Bible verses about labeling,” most of the information that pops up begins with the negative side of labeling. A small sample of those verses include:

Matthew 7:1-2 Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you.

1 Samuel 16:7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance…”

Romans 14:13 Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother.

John 7:24 Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.

James 2:4 Have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?

People throughout human history have been tribal. We will divide along any line we can find. Back in history, people divided by their literal tribe. Folks divide by nationality, by color, by educational experience. People are so tribal that even Apple has maximized on that tribalism by demonizing phones that are not theirs, lessening the quality of images shared, and more. Android-using phones might do it, too, though that is much harder to identify since there are numerous non-Apple “tribes” and only the one Apple tribe.

What does tribalism have to do with labeling? Well, a lot actually. We have a tendency to label what we do not yet fully understand in order to lessen our own discomfort in the unknown. And, quite honestly, when someone does not think like we do, act like do, or believe what we believe, we want to lessen our own discomfort and frustration by slapping a label on them and walking away. We will never win an argument by labeling the people who disagree with us.

That’s because labeling causes frustration especially if we are not entirely accurate and/or the person is unhappy with that label. If the label is perceived negatively in society or within the person’s own family, no matter how accurate, the label will be viewed as an insult. Let’s take for example the fact that when Christ-followers first began being labeled as “Christians” it was meant as an insult. Then, the group embraced being known as “little Christ’s” and then as time marched forward, Christ-followers began to distance themselves from the label that had been overused and corrupted by evil people who hide their evil acts behind misused and misrepresented Bible verse.

Labels often reveal unfounded assumptions and negative stereotypes. No one wants to be grouped with the worst of the people who share something in common with themselves. Something bad may have happened to you to accept or believe a negative stereotype. Our niece who did not homeschool once watched a comedian with us who was doing a homeschool parody song. We were all laughing hysterically because it was so far from the truth, but because she didn’t see us very often and had had a bad experience with a homeschool person, she couldn’t understand why we were laughing about being made fun because she thought it was all true. Now, that is a more light-hearted application of the negative stereotype, but we all know that unfortunately, some harsh and groundless labels can cause major division and heartache if we are not careful.

Watch your words. Be careful with your assumptions about a person, a family, a church, and more. Take heart Proverbs 16:24 “Pleasant words are a honeycomb: sweet to the taste and health to the body.” Be careful when using labels.

Join us next week as we discuss the positive aspects of labeling and how a family can further its own family identity by using labels well. Be blessed!