Category Archives: Books

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Labels

Are we stuck with them or is there HOPE for getting rid of them?

Unglued by Lysa TerKeurst

Unglued by Lysa TerKeurst

Ever tried to get the label off a bottle? I like to save my EVOO bottles and getting those labels off is a daunting process … sometimes it’s successful, and it’s always stressful! I’ve soaked them in soapy water, rubbing alcohol, fingernail polish remover, and the ever-popular “Goo-Gone” … Whatever I’ve used to remove the labels takes lots of time and effort. But the pristine bottle that results is worth the work!

While reading Lysa TerKeurst’s book, “Unglued” I was reminded that people have labels that need to be removed, too! I’m enjoying an online Bible study of “Unglued: Making Wise Choices In the Midst of Raw Emotions.” I’d read the book before, but now I’m reading it again in the context of this study. With daily inspirations and motivations based on the book, I’m getting new insights that I either missed or overlooked in my initial quick read-through.

This week’s focus is Chapter 3: The Prisoners. Lysa talks about how we are imprisoned by the labels that we are given or that we unconsciously accept for ourselves. Labels like:
• I am angry.
• I am frustrated.
• I am a screamer.
• I am a stuffer.
• I am just like my mother.
• I am a wreck.
• I am a people pleaser.
• I am a jerk.
• I am insecure.
• I am unglued.

As I read that list, I realized that I slap some of those ugly labels on myself and, not only do I wear them, I believe them! Yuck! God didn’t label me with this negativity … who am I to stick those lies to me! What’s even worse, sometimes I stick some of those ugly labels on other people, too.
• She’s so disorganized.
• She’s always late.
• He doesn’t even notice ____________.
• He doesn’t care about _____________.
• They’re hopeless!

But we’re not doomed to live life covered in sticky, nasty, label-lies! There’s hope! Look at some of the labels that scripture gives us in 1 Peter 2:4-5 & 9 (NIV):
• Chosen by God
• Precious to Him
• Living Stones, being built into a spiritual house
• Holy Priesthood
• Spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ
• Chosen People
• Royal Priesthood
• Holy Nation
• People belonging to God

But, just like removing those tough labels from the EVOO bottles, removing labels from ourselves can be difficult, too! Lots of hard work and determination are needed to change Satan’s lies to God’s truth. As Lysa says, we need to refuse the labels of our past and recognize that we are God’s workmanship. We must accept the grace that saves us and shapes us and prepares us to fulfill our calling. (Read Ephesians 2:8-10 to see how grace can clean those labels off of us.)

So even when we become unglued and mess up and fall short, God’s grace is there for us to embrace and erase the labels that would keep us discouraged, hopeless, and ineffective in God’s Kingdom. Here’s Lysa’s solution to letting grace change those label-lies into truth and reality.
1. Identify the label as a lie meant to tear me down.
2. Choose to view the circumstance as a call to action, not a call to beat myself up mentally.
3. Use the momentum of tackling one label to help me tackle more.

Pick up a copy of “Unglued” or join the online Bible study to completely unpack these ideas. Trust me, it’ll be worth the time and money!

Got some labels you need to unglue? This is one book that will help you identify and eliminate the sticky, messy, label-lies that keep you from making imperfect progress.

Beyond the Sorrow by Tammy Trent (Nashville, TN: Countryman, 2005)

There’s Hope in the Promises of God

In the author’s words: “This story is not just my life’s story. All who risk loving, risk losing the one they love. Sometimes that loss comes through death of the one we love, other times love itself seems to have died when a relationship is broken. In every loss, we have to look to the very source of love, to Jesus Christ, for strength to keep pressing on. He has given us precious promises in His Word to bring the pieces of our lives back together. The Bible is like an eternal love letter that will give us hope through all of life’s trials and unite our hearts with His.”

Tammy wrote “Beyond the Sorrow” after the sudden, accidental death of her husband. She has experienced great sorrow, yet has found great peace in the presence of God. And she has shared her experience in a way that brings comfort to others who find themselves dealing with the loss of a loved one. This book was a source of comfort and hope during the days following my dad’s home-going. I picked it up again the other day to re-read as a resource in my on-going study of HOPE, and found it just as inspiring as the first time I read it.

Undone: A Story of Making Peace with an Unexpected Life by Michele Cushatt (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2015)

HOPE in an Undone Life!

Michele Cushatt has opened her heart and bared her soul as she shares the story of her “undone” life. With tears and laughter, pain and poignancy, she reveals herself and her family, in a way that endears them to her readers and allows us to share in the reality of her life — the horror of cancer, the pain of parenthood, and the joy of seeing God work it all together for good. This was without a doubt one of the most inspiring books I have ever read. I was privileged to receive and read an advance copy as part of the book launch team; and when my “real” copy arrived on my Kindle I read it again, highlighting passage after passage of inspiration! This book is a must-read for anyone who has experienced an “undone” life … and that would be everyone!