Label or Sign?

My six-year-old, Claire, found a stack of sticky notes and a pencil, and slyly asked, "Mommy, how do you spell 'kick me?'" Of course I knew what she was up to, but I spelled it for her anyway and turned out to be the first person upon whom she tried to stick it.

This got me thinking about labels and signs. We know that signs give us directions or commands; 'shopping center ahead 1/2 mile' or 'STOP'. Labels, on the other hand, tell us what to expect when we open a package. We don't buy a box labeled 'tissue' and expect to find chocolate. We don't hope to find a love story in a book labeled 'Managerial Accounting'.

We often put labels on other people; someone is handicapped who cannot walk without a walker, someone is dumb if they don't know what we know. Sometimes we even label ourselves; I'm a Christian.

If we are bold enough to label ourselves as Christians, should not our actions then, be a sign of what that label stands for? When a stranger, or even those we know and love, see us, speak with us, hear us speak to others, should they not come away with a clear and unmistakable understanding of what a Christian should sound like; act like?

If our outward appearance and speech do not reflect our statement of being Christian, maybe our inward knowledge of who Christ is, and what He means to us, needs to change. Do you use the label 'Christian'? Are you an accurate sign for that label?

Help us, Lord, to not only be a Christian in word, but also in deed. Amen.