“He made us completely new through the Holy Spirit, who was poured out in abundance through Jesus the Anointed, our Savior. All of this happened so that through His grace we would be accepted into God’s covenant family and appointed to be His heirs, full of the hope that comes from knowing you have eternal life.” (Titus 3:5-7 VOICE)
I try to repurpose jam jars and other glass containers once they are empty. The manufacturers of these products must use some strong glue to keep their branding intact! Getting the sticky labels off jars takes some work. First, I peel off as much of the sticker as I can with my fingers. Then, I use a mixture of oil and baking soda to coat the jar and let it sit for a while. Then, I use a serrated knife and scrape off another layer. I repeat this process several times until the jar is completely clean. Once I get the labels off a glass jar, it stays that way. I may fill it with spices, herbs, or homemade salsa. I can see what is inside, so there is no need to put another label on it.
Like stickers on a jam jar, the labels that have been affixed to us from an early age can be difficult to remove. These logos are branded into our sense of identity. Scraping off old labels that no longer represent who we are takes time and effort. First, we must recognize what no longer fits. Then, we must coat ourselves in the anointing of the Holy Spirit and be still. Then, comes the hard work of peeling off the layers. The process must be repeated over and over until we are completely clean. Once we are free of these external stickers, we know better than to replace them with new ones! We remain transparent, so that whatever we hold within is visible. We are no longer defined by our labels, but by whom we are inside.
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