There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
~ Galatians 3:28 (NIV)
Labels matter. They give identity to things we don’t fully understand, helping us navigate the ever-changing structure of society. Not too long ago, people with mental illnesses were all lumped under the same umbrella, with society calling them things like “crazy”, “difficult” or attributing it to a spiritual reason. Over time we have developed the language to describe and understand different abilities and conditions with greater compassion.
The issue with labels is that they only describe one facet of who we are. No single word or category can truly capture the complexity of each human being. As with all things human-made, labels too are subject to human misunderstanding. It’s easy to make quick judgments based on the labels given to us by society—or the ones we choose for ourselves.
“What school did you go to?”
“She’s a spinster, so sad.”
“You studied such a useless degree!”
“He’s a doctor so he must be a good person.”
Worship offers us something deeper than any earthly label: a true and lasting identity in Christ. Worship is not just the act of singing praises; worship provides us with a powerful means of affirming our identity in Christ. In the act of worship, we respond to God’s call, reflecting to him the truth of who he is and who we are in him. Worship helps us remember that through Christ we are forgiven, redeemed, and called to a greater purpose. It realigns our hearts and minds toward our true identity: we are children of God.
Many worship songs affirm this truth. “Who You Say I Am” by Hillsong Worship declares:
Who the Song sets free
Oh, is free indeed
I’m a child of God
Yes, I am!
Jesus spent time with the people whom the culture of his time considered unworthy or unclean—the lepers, tax collectors and sex workers. Yet he saw them, valued them, and offered them new life, showing us that our identity is defined by his love, not by labels.
Many worship songs remind us that we are all children of God and that we are accepted by him, no matter our backgrounds or shortcomings. In the song “Blest Be The Tie That Binds”, Charles Wesley writes about the unity and new identity we can find in the Christian community.
Blest be the tie that binds
our hearts in Christian love
The fellowship of kindred minds
is like to that above.
In a world often focused on categorising and dividing us into neat categories, worship helps us rise above all these labels, reminding us that our true worth is found in Christ alone. We are more than the identities we derive from our profession, race, gender, or physical and mental abilities. When we worship, we should remember that our identity is not found in labels or societal standards but in the eternal love of God. We are loved, redeemed and called for his glory.