When Labels Lie: Rewriting the Words We Wear

Jul 31, 2022
4 min read

Updated: Jun 1

We live in a world that loves labels.

From the moment we step onto the playground to the years we spend in boardrooms, social circles, or church pews, labels start to form. Quiet. Loud. Too much. Not enough. Strong. Weak. And before we know it, these words settle onto our hearts like name tags we never asked for.

In cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), there’s a cognitive distortion called labeling—and it’s one of the sneakiest ways our thoughts can go off course. Labeling is when we reduce the fullness of a person—ourselves or someone else—into one harsh, sweeping statement. Like slapping a sticky note on a soul and calling it the whole story.

At Still Waters Counseling Center, we believe there’s a better way to think. A more truthful, redemptive way to live. One that refuses to settle for distorted thoughts and instead invites us to speak and believe what God says is true.

What Is Labeling?

In CBT, labeling is when we define a person entirely by one behavior, one moment, or one mistake. It happens in two main forms:

Labeling the Role
- “I’m a bad mother.”
- “He’s the best dad ever.”
Labeling the Person
- “I’m worthless.”
- “She’s better than everyone else.”

Whether negative or overly positive, labeling shrinks a person down to one trait. But God didn’t create us in one dimension. We are layered, growing, redeemable beings. Labeling traps us in a flat story—God invites us into a fuller one.

A Real-Life Example: When a Label Becomes a Limit

Dr. David Burns, a leader in CBT, shares a personal story that shines a light on just how limiting labels can be.

As a high school student, he wasn’t allowed to join any sports teams. That rejection stuck. Years later, as an accomplished professional, he picked up a book about running and instantly thought, “That’s not for me—I can’t run.”

There it was. A label: “Not a runner.” But in that moment, he caught the thought. Challenged it. Took a few steps. And reframed the narrative: “Even though I’ve never been a runner, I can try.”

He went on to complete multiple half-marathons—not because he became a different person, but because he broke free from a false label.

How many of us are still living under labels someone else put on us? Or ones we’ve put on ourselves?

The Trouble with Labels

Labeling leads to a host of emotional struggles—depression, anxiety, low self-worth, and shame. Why? Because it tells us we are our worst moments. Or that others are only their shortcomings.

But here’s the truth:

You are not your mistake.
They are not their worst behavior.
We are all more than the labels we’ve carried.

Labeling also shows up in more “positive” ways—like putting people on pedestals. “She’s perfect,” we say. “He’s always right.” But when they disappoint us (as all humans eventually do), the fall is hard. Pedestals were never meant to hold people—they were meant for God alone.

A Scriptural Reframe: What God Really Says

Instead of distorting with labels, what if we declared truth over ourselves and others?

The world may try to label you as failure, forgotten, too broken, or too much.But God? He calls you:

Chosen (1 Peter 2:9)
A new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17)
His masterpiece (Ephesians 2:10)
Beloved (Colossians 3:12)

Ephesians 2:10 is especially powerful: “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago.”

From this one verse alone, you can pull out truth-filled “labels” to wear:

I am God’s workmanship.
I am created in Christ.
I am made for good works.
God has a plan for me.

Those are the only labels that deserve to stick

The Power of “Even Though”

When you catch yourself slipping into old label-thinking, try this phrase: Even though…

“Even though I yelled at my child, it doesn’t mean I’m a bad parent. I made a mistake, and I can make it right.”
“Even though I failed at that task, it doesn’t define my worth.”
“Even though she hurt me, it doesn’t mean she’s all bad—or that I’m powerless.”

“Even though” is the bridge between who we were and who God is shaping us to be. It makes room for grace and growth.

A Truth-Telling Practice: Label Yourself… with Scripture

Here’s your action step this week: label yourself—but with truth.

Find a few scriptures that resonate with you.
Write out the identity labels you find there on sticky notes. (Example: “I am forgiven” – 1 John 1:9)
Put them where you’ll see them often: your mirror, your car, your fridge, or add them to your phone lock screen.
Speak them aloud when the old labels try to creep back in.

You might even make a fun at-home lanyard with your favorite identity in Christ (like “Beloved” or “Redeemed”). Silly? Maybe. Powerful? Absolutely.

The words we wear shape the way we live. Let’s make sure we’re wearing the right ones.

A Final Word

At Still Waters Counseling Center, we believe your story is more than the labels you’ve carried. Through the wisdom of CBT and the unchanging truth of scripture, you can learn to name what’s false and claim what’s true.

God didn’t just create you—He calls you by name.You are not your past.You are not your pain.You are His.

Let’s stop believing the lies and start wearing the truth.