¹³In him you also, when you had heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and had believed in him, were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit; ¹⁴this is the pledge of our inheritance toward redemption as God’s own people, to the praise of his glory.

-Ephesians 1:13-14

In my high school yearbook, there is a picture of me with the caption “most likely to write a bestseller.” Other people’s pictures line those pages with captions like, “Best smile” and “Most likely to be a professional comedian” or “professional athlete.” I haven’t written a bestseller yet, but I do appreciate the positive label. Not every label in my life has been positive. Most of us have experiences that mark us in one way or another. Sometimes, even as adults, we get lost in the labels others assign to us. We only post the beautiful things on social media because the messy things are … well … messy.

So it’s good to remember sometimes the labels others give us – and the labels we give ourselves – are only a piece of the story. And ultimately, they aren’t the most important piece of the story. What really matters is how God sees us. Paul writes to the Ephesians that they were “marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit.” The Holy Spirit marks us and dwells within us so that we know we are never alone. God’s Spirit reminds us we have a divine cheerleader who fills us with light: light that sustains us and light that we share.

Today, feel the Spirit’s mark on you, freeing you from every other label you might still carry. Let the Spirit wash those other labels away and remind you of the most important thing: you are a child of God, holy and beloved by our precious Lord.

Rev. Rebecca Mallozzi, Faith Presbyterian Church, Emmaus, PA