Breaking Free From Labels – Embracing Your True Identity
Craig Brown | Founder | Stop Hiding Start Healing
In today’s world, it’s easy to let our identity be shaped by external factors—our careers, achievements, failures, struggles, or even what others say about us. For many, the challenges they face, such as addiction, pain, or life struggles, become their defining traits. But is that who we truly are?
Why Do We Identify Ourselves by Our Struggles?
When navigating hardships, admitting a problem is a necessary first step. It helps us step out of denial and move toward healing. However, there’s a risk: we often allow the labels associated with our struggles—addict, failure, alcoholic, or anxious—to take root in our hearts and define us. These labels, while descriptive, can become limiting and even imprisoning.
Here’s the critical question: Why should we identify ourselves by something we are actively seeking freedom from?
The shame attached to such labels compounds the issue. It convinces us that we are nothing more than the sum of our failures. We become bonded to the pain, hurt, or addiction, often because it feels like all we know.
A New Perspective: You Are Not Your Struggle
As a believer in recovery, I’ve learned an essential truth: My struggle does not define me. Addiction, failure, pain, or depression is not who I am. Instead, I am a child of God—redeemed, loved, and made new through His grace.
The Bible offers numerous affirmations of our true identity in Christ:
- You are blessed (2 Corinthians 9:8)
- You are saved (Romans 10:9-10)
- You are new (1 Peter 1:3)
- You are loved (1 John 4:7-11)
- You are victorious (1 John 5:4)
God’s Word reminds us of our worth and the divine purpose He has placed within each of us.
Living as a New Creation
The transformative power of faith redefines who we are. As Galatians 2:20 says, “My old identity has been co-crucified with Christ and no longer lives. And now the essence of this new life is no longer mine, for the Anointed One lives his life through me.”
Understanding this truth means releasing the labels and embracing our God-given identity:
- We are made in His image (Genesis 1:27)
- We are set apart (Jeremiah 1:5)
- We are part of the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:27)
- We are chosen and special (1 Peter 2:9)
Embrace Freedom, Honor God
Freedom begins when we shed the labels of the past and accept the truth of who we are in Christ. Our bodies, hearts, and lives are temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). We are not defined by struggles but by the infinite grace and mercy of a God who loves us unconditionally.
You are not your pain or your past. You are a child of God, beautifully and wonderfully made. As you continue on your journey of healing and recovery, let this truth guide you to freedom and purpose.
Let go of the labels. Embrace your true identity. You are not your struggle; you are so much more.