The trees outside are doing what they’ve always done in this season: letting go. Their branches release what no longer serves them, making space for what will come next. It’s a beautiful picture of what God calls us to do with the labels and lies we’ve carried for far too long.

Some of us are still walking around with names we never asked for:

• “Reject.”

• “Too much.”

• “Not enough.”

• “Unlovable.”

These labels, whether whispered in childhood, spoken in anger, or etched into us by silence, have a way of clinging to our souls. But here’s the truth: they are not your identity.

🌱 God’s Call to Release

In Genesis, Adam and Eve hid after the fall, covering themselves in shame. And God’s question to them was this: “Who told you that you were naked?” (Genesis 3:11).

It’s the same question He asks us today: Who told you that you were worthless? Who told you that you had to earn love? Who told you that you would always carry this label?

The labels may have been real words spoken, but they are not the final word. God’s Word says something different:

• You are chosen (1 Peter 2:9).

• You are loved with an everlasting love (Jeremiah 31:3).

• You are free in Christ (John 8:36).

🍁 The October Invitation

Just like the trees, you don’t have to cling to what no longer serves you. October is an invitation to release the weight of old labels — to let them fall, to make space for truth, and to trust that God is doing something new in you.

Isaiah 43:19 NLT states:
"For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland."

At times, life's outlook seems bleak, and the labels we carry appears to be our cross to bear, but God promises a path forward, a promise to change our landscape and create something "new." But sometimes we fail to "perceive" what God is doing because we focus on our past. 

Isaiah is calling us to stop focusing on the past, which can be a source of regret, and fix our eyes on what God is doing. Recognize the hand of God in the events of our lives and realize that He is creating new paths and opportunities, even when life feels barren or hopeless. This is a challenge that I, myself has to take on. It is so easy to focus on what was, and to regret the mistakes we have made while being blinded to what is ahead.

Releasing labels doesn’t mean ignoring the pain they caused. It means refusing to let them define you anymore. When you choose to let go, you create space for God’s identity to take root in your heart.

Let's Pray

Lord, I bring every false label I’ve carried to You. I lay them down — the words, the roles, the lies. Help me see myself as You see me: chosen, loved, and free. Teach me to release what was never mine to carry. Amen.

✨ Time to take Action

• 👉 Ready to break shame and step into truth? Download my free guide: 5 Truths to Break Shame & Reclaim Your Identity in Christ.

• 👉 For a deeper journey, explore my book Perfectly Placed, where I share how family shaped my identity — and how God restored it. You can also check out Who Told You That You Were Naked, where I share on how we can stop listening to the lies and walk in the truth of who God says we are.