Leading Beyond the Label by Mary Bursch
May 20, 2017
When I was about 10, my parents bought a label maker. You know, one of those little hand-held things that when you typed in a word and hit the “print” button out came a white strip that slightly resembled a snake tongue coming out for a curious taste? Yeah, I loved that thing. The first (and most important) item that I labeled was my Caboodle. I know all of you fellow 80’s girls just got a smile on your face as you recalled your very own must-have makeup/accessory/everything-cool you-owned-that-would-fit holder. What color was YOURS? Did it have two or THREE layers of trays?? It was mine. I knew it was mine, but now everyone else knew it was mine as well. It was so satisfying an accomplishment that I decided to bless my mom with my newly acquired organizational skills by proceeding to label just about everything in our house that had a hard enough surface for it to stick to. I stood back and admired my work. She was going to be so happy… I mean, what had we done before you knew that what you were looking at was, in fact, the VCR? You might have confused it for a tape player or perhaps an ATARI game console. But what if I HAD labeled it wrong? What if I had put a little white piece of tape on there that said “microwave”? Would it have magically changed into what the label said it was?
I feel like we are guilty of that at times in our leadership calling. We say “yes” to the comfortable, to the things that fit easily within our wheelhouse, to the things we feel we can be successful at. It makes sense, right? I have such and such spiritual gift, I went to school for this and that, these tasks fit my personality…. See my label? It says it all right here. Isn’t it pretty? And we are so proud. All 100% true and wonderful. But my question is, what happens when God asks us to step outside of those strengths and into something we’re not so sure about? What if you scored a high C on the DISC profile (super type A for those who don’t know) and God asks you to do something on short notice with NO structured team, outline, guidance or plan? Or what if you’re great at support and behind the scenes leadership but you feel like you’re being called to teach? Maybe even up front?! What do we do then? Do we look down at the label stuck to our chest that says (fill in the blank) – the label we’ve always read and that others have always seen – clear our throat and remind God what it says “right here!”? Or do we trust that the One who made us, and put us together so intricately, knows HOW he created us, WHAT he created us to do, and WHAT IS BENEATH the surface? That surface that we – and even others – stick labels onto? It’s the moment when fear rises up within us and we think to ourselves “Oh, no… I’m not _____”.
Today I want to encourage you that if God is nudging, whispering, calling or shouting to you to try something outside of what you feel comfortable doing as a leader (and this goes for those we are leading as well!!) that your initial reaction not be “thank you, but I’m not a _____” . I pray that you reach down, peel that label OFF and and ask the Lord, the one who made you YOU, to reveal to you what’s underneath-maybe what you didn’t know was under there the entire time because you didn’t even think to look! And just in case you were wondering, God is pretty good at giving us the tools, skill and knowledge to accomplish anything that He calls us to. Here are just a few verses to go along with that:
James 1:5 (NLT)
“If you need wisdom, ask our generous God and he will give it to you.”
Hebrews 13:18-24 (MSG)
“May God, who puts all things together, makes all things whole, who made a lasting mark through the sacrifice of Jesus, the sacrifice of blood that sealed the eternal covenant, who led Jesus, our Great Shepherd up and alive from the dead, now put you together, provide you with everything you need to please him, make us into what gives him most pleasure, by means of the sacrifice of Jesus, the Messiah. All glory to Jesus forever and always! Oh, yes, yes, yes.”
Just think if David had looked down at HIS label and saw the word “shepherd” and owned that one?? God was just waiting to replace that with one that said “KING” and “GIANT SLAYER”.
So ladies… put the label maker down and ask the Lord to show you what’s underneath what you see. Let Him show you the things He’s put in you that you don’t even know about yet. When you look for your label, simply see that God has marked you “MINE”, and know that the sky is the limit.
Seek Him, ask Him, listen to Him and remember, just because you put a label on something, doesn’t change what it was created to be.
Mary Bursch
