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Welcome back to Purpose in Motion: Weekly Encouragement for Your Journey of Faith and Purpose.

September Series: Rediscovering Who You Are.
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Week Two: The Labels You've Outgrown

Andrea's Note

Have you ever noticed that you've changed, but the way you talk about yourself has stayed the same?

Sometimes we hold onto words from the past, not noticing when they no longer fit who we are now.

Maybe someone said something about you years ago.

Maybe a tough experience gave you a label. Or maybe you gave yourself a label after something didn't go the way you hoped.

Failure.

Rejected.

Too much.

Not enough.

Unqualified.

Broken.

We can carry these words for years, treating them like facts.

But sometimes, growing means pausing and asking ourselves: Does this still describe me?

This week, let's take an honest look at the names we've been carrying and find hope in God's truth to replace what no longer defines us.

I really appreciate the imagery in this Scripture.

The Lord is the one who has given us this new name.

But sometimes we live a new life, even though we still respond to our old one. Growth is within your reach.

Purpose in Perspective

Labels have power because they shape what we expect from ourselves and others.

If you see yourself as a failure, you start to expect things to go wrong.

If you think you're not worthy, you might stay in relationships that make you feel that way.

If you decide you're "not enough," you might spend years working too hard just to prove your worth.

Labels can act like hidden instructions for how we live.

They shape what we think we deserve, what we try, what we put up with, and how we view ourselves.

Some things I've gone through could have turned into labels that stuck with me.

Hardship.

Abuse.

Homelessness.

Single motherhood.

Health challenges.

Those things really happened.

They're part of my story. But there's a difference between admitting what happened to you and letting it define you.

Your experiences can shape your story, but they don't have to become your whole identity.

Maybe you've been telling yourself things like:

"I'm shy." But God has been helping you grow more confident.

"I'm not a leader." Yet people often come to you for advice.

"I always give up." But you've made it through things you once thought would break you.

Maybe the real issue isn't who you are.

Maybe the label just doesn't fit you anymore.

Becoming in Action

Think of three labels you've carried that no longer fit who you are becoming, and write them down.

Cross each one out on your list. Next to each label, write a truth that shows what God says about you and what He has helped you grow into.

This week, notice the words you use about yourself.

If you catch yourself using an old label, pause. Replace it with the new truth.

You don't have to keep responding to an old name that no longer fits you.

Reflection Questions

• Where did these labels come from?
• How have these labels affected my decisions and relationships?
• Which label do I find most difficult to let go of?
• What truth might God be encouraging me to accept instead?

Continue the Conversation

This week's Purpose in Motion draws inspiration from the Empowered to Live series, Rediscovering Who You Are.

If this message spoke to you, send this message to another woman in your life. Remember that you are more than what someone else says you are. God has the final say.

Keep the conversation going with The Labels You've Outgrown, and think about sharing it with another woman who might need encouragement to let go of her old self.

You are allowed to grow.

You are allowed to change.

You can also stop responding to names that no longer fit who you are.

I pray that God gives you strength for the work ahead

I hope He reminds you that every step you take in faith is important.

May hope keep growing as you rebuild.

Keep growing. Keep becoming.

Stay Empowered to Live.

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