We live in a society and world that needs and desires titles to identify who we are. As children, we get ranked into title from birth, “First, middle, only, and the baby of the family.” As Student we get titled into the “Intellectual”, “the overachiever”, “the class clown”, or even “the trouble maker”. As a college graduate, we know the pressures that determine the status of our degree and the importance of a good career goal. We can all agree that we have been called or have been categorized into one of these, or something similar. But what if these titles didn’t exist. What would define us?
One of my biggest pet peeves is being called a, “Stay-at-home-mom.” I have the great privilege of staying with my children and raising them to be world changers. In the past 6 years I have had the amazing privilege of homeschooling them as well. Often, when we, SAHM’s,tell people our occupation it is often met with a reluctant look or smirk of judgment. I “work” 24/7 for no momentary pay and yet, people assume they know (unless you are in my field) what I do. But I am a unique individual. I refuse to use that phrase to describe my occupation. In along with being a mom, I am a wife, a business owner, a minister, a writer, and the list goes on and on. My identity is not wrapped around my kids, even though they are apart of who I am.
Why do we as humans, do this to ourselves? Compete for the position of greatness when we each have a beautiful part to play in this world. We get so performance driven to please those around us that may or may not have any influence and in what we contribute to society. We also make sure that we pass this title mentality onto our children, so that they also grow up believing that their career matters, their school matters, their place on the economic status of get more, be more matters. What we should be impressing on our children is what makes you happy? What is your passion? How can you influence and contribute to the world around you to make it a better place? You are not supposed to run a race to see who finishes first, but run a race that challenges those around you to run with you and you finish together.
What titles will do for you.
~Titles limit you. It says, “This is your identifier and what we are to know you as.” We can get so wrapped up in what the title says that we forget that there are so many faucets to who we are. Your position does not determine your place on the map. It can sometimes become a false identity to us and those around you.
`Titles will limit your expansion for growth. Even though I am a mom, I also inspire to be so many other things. I want to be an encourager, a motivator, a mentor, and a friend. I have often thought about getting a business card, but all the categories are endless to who I want to be, so it just makes sense to just be me. And I get to be the Vice-CEO of my life.
~Titles keep your income limited. I once complained to my husband that I do all this work and never get compensated for what I do in our business. I somehow want some recognition for my employment. I was looking for a check with my name on it, when I already owned all the assets of the company. I am co-laboring with my spouse and that made me realize that I have unlimited capacity to give myself a raise. I may not “get paid” for all the laundry I do, or the people I help, but I am unlimited to the wealth that I receive. Take inventory of your life, there are places in your life that you were compensated for being you and not because of your title.
~Titles leave us with a performance mentality. I agree most us want to do our best. We give all our time into the things we are passionate about and we want promotion for all our hard work. This is a great way to lose heart quickly. Somehow we think that if we are the boss, if we are the CEO, if we make a name for ourselves, then we will arrive. We think if I can only impress my boss by…. If I can only do more than my co-worker… If I can do better than the mom next door… I want to encourage you to work from love not for it. Performance mentality bases all you are on what you do and not why you do it.
Who I want to be.
If I could take inventory of all the titles available to me, I think there is one that I would most fit me. I am a Child of my Father. In this, there is no struggle to prove myself, there is no need to compete because you are His child too. We get all the benefits of being a daughter or son and I get to bring others with me. There is plenty of room at His table.
Jesus asked the disciples in Matthew 16,” Who do you say that I am?” They spouted off the names of great prophets and men that others said they thought He was. He asked again, “But who do you say I am?” Peter replied, “You are the Christ, Son of the Living God.” Jesus replied that God revealed this to him, not anyone else. So, if His title was “Christ, Son of the Living God”, then we should be satisfied with that.
I am Angela, Daughter of my the Living God. I am completely satisfied with that.
What title do you strive to be? Is it your passion? Does it fully describe who you are? Does it give you freedom to be all that you are created to be?
Cultivate Life 
Leave a Reply