Monday, May 5, 2014

By: Brandon Bilbo

Mislabeled

1 Samuel 16:7 "...The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."

The grocery store is conveniently located between my house and my office. Consequently, I make many stops after work to pick up that "one thing" that dinner always seems to hinge on. Now, unless my wife sends me a photo of the label of the specific product that she wants, there is a good chance that she'll be making spaghetti with a jar of salsa.

Labels are very important when shopping. They show us the intended purpose for a product.

If you were to examine your life, how would you say that YOU are labeled? Would those labels TRULY reflect the INTENDED purpose for your life?

You see, we are quick to judge based on a hasty glance of what we see with our eyes, but the Lord says that while people look at the outward appearance, He looks at the heart. I believe that most people have been MISLABELED.

So many people place limitations on their lives because of the words others have spoken to them, and they accept that as their intended purpose. In addition, people put labels on themselves based off of past mistakes.

People labeled David in the Bible as many things. His family labeled him as insignificant and weak, his wife labeled him as undignified and even today, people label him as an adulterer because of mistakes he made. However, scripture tells us that God labeled David as courageous and as a man after God's own heart AND crowned him King! David passionately sought after God daily regardless of how others-including those CLOSEST to him-labeled him.

I challenge you today to seek God with your WHOLE heart. Rip off the labels that anyone other than God has placed on you and pursue HIS intended purpose for your life!

Dear Lord, I thank You for seeing the very best in me and that You have an awesome purpose for my life!

I also thank You Jesus for dying for me. I believe that You are Lord and that God raised You from the grave so that I can have eternal life.