Limitless Life: Chapter 1

“Soul Tattoos: indelible marks that are imprinted on our hearts and limit us.” Derwin Gray

I am reading the book Limitless Life with women from Proverbs 31 ministry. For me a book has to capture my attention right away, any one else feel this way? Then I love to ponder thoughts and concepts that I glean from the book. If it is a paper back book, my highlighter is my ever trusty companion. If it is in my Kindle, I highlight sections that are meaningful.  The book capture my heart, I knew God sent this book as a lighthouse to my heart, mind, and soul.

Soul Tattoos: I have many of these marks imprinted on my heart and limit me. Mark Batterson wrote the foreword for Derwin Gray, the author of this book. He said, “We are namers by nature. Adam named the animals, we label everything and we label people. If you label yourself a failure, you limit your success; if you label yourself a disappointment, you limit your ability to see that people appreciate you or that God appreciates you.” I have labeled myself names such as fat, disappointment, failure, and of course the wrong choices I made often haunt me.

Derwin Gray  writes, “Jesus became our label, when he tears off the old markers and imprints his life on ours, with Christ our identity makes a radical transformation and the things that held us back become the steps we walk on our journey with Jesus.”

Like Mr. Gray, I have battled against destructive labels. I believe the negative messages that come from the labels. He says in chapter one, “the labels are stitched on our hearts at an early age and this has limited our lives. A false label leads to living a lie. A life built on a lie places you in spiritual prison. A destructive label leads to living a destructive life. There is a soul thief a dark enemy that wants to nail labels our hearts so he can steal your life. Additionally, it isn’t enough to remove old hurtful labels, we must write new labels on our hearts to begin infusing positive messages.”

He talks about an “Afraid” label. He says, “An afraid label in your heart produces a fear of rejection, produces a fear of not being good enough. When the afraid label is sewn into our hearts, we fear the unknown.”

I am guilty of labeling people and most of all I have labeled myself. My labels have changed over the years. As a child,  I have a blind eye, insecurity invaded my life. As a teenager, I did not feel that I was pretty so I was afraid and insecure. As a young wife and mother, I struggled with illness, so I once again felt failure. I made some poor choices so I felt condemned. As I grow older, I have less labels that is because I work at freedom in Christ.

Soul Tattoos: I am looking forward to the healing that God will do in my life.  I want healthy soul tattoo’s. How about you?

Isaiah 61: 1-3  I want to proclaim liberty to the captives.  Romans 8:1 I want other to know there is no condemnation in Christ Jesus.  Romans 8:38-39 I want you to know nothing can separate you from the love of God. According to 2 Timothy 1:7 For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (fear) but of power and love and discipline.

What labels have you applied to your life?

What fears are you facing?

Father God, I pray for each woman who suffers with negative labels. I pray right now that she adopt her real identity as your daughter. I pray for healing for each woman  has a negative soul tattoo that she seek freedom that only Christ can give. May she embrace courage today, release the fear that is holding her captive. Broken to beautiful, fearful to courageous.  Isaiah 61:1-3. Blessings

Diana