Labels We Wear

Rahab, the Prostitute.

She is included in the Hebrews 11, "Hall of Faith," listed and commended for her faith. Yet, even there she is still labeled by her sin.

This has always bothered me. By her own words, she confesses that the God of Israel is THE God. She is included in the very lineage of Christ, yet, she almost always is remembered for her biggest sin.

Talk about a reputation to overcome.

Even though her faith had shown vividly where her loyalties were, I am sure she probably was still shunned by the Israelite community she joined. As far as the ratings of sins go, hers ranked pretty high. True, God sees all sin the same, but somehow, respectable folks are definitely more forgiving of some sins over others.

The Bible doesn't tell us about how Rahab felt about her label. It does tells us that she joined the Israelites and made her home with them. She converted. She left her pagan gods and sinful ways and followed the God she knew to be the One True God.

Maybe she resented being forever known as "the prostitute," or maybe she embraced it . . .

Through our weaknesses, our faults and our failures He is made strong. God shows off more of Himself in the places we would find least likely.

Think about it this way . . .

Every time Rahab was remembered as "the prostitute" her story was remembered as well.  She would not be mistaken for another woman of the same name - not confused for another woman named Rahab.

And what was exactly her story? God rescued the worst of the worst heathens from a pagan land, Jericho. He redeemed a foreign woman of no worth or morality and grafted her into the very ancestry of His own Son.

Rahab knew that the city and the land were the Lord's. She knew her past and her unworthiness. She knew she could do nothing to save herself - yet God did just that. He saved her life physically and spiritually.

The walls of Jericho, where she made her home, fell- yet she walked away unharmed.
Her son would marry Ruth and her great-grandson would be King David. Her legacy of faith would serve as evidence of her spiritual rebirth as well.

Every time Rahab is referred to as "the prostitute" God is glorified. What He did for her is remembered and we can't help but marvel at the goodness of our God.

We all have labels. We all have jobs and relationships and things we are known by. Some we may be pretty proud of. Others . . .  not so much. But each is an opportunity to allow others to see God's redemptive work in us.

How we mother our kids, speaks to the parent that God is to us.
How we support our spouse, displays the symbolic relationship Christ has with His Bride, The Church.
How we minister as a Sunday school teacher, small group leader, pastor's wife or simply a friend echos of how God has ministered to us as well.

Perhaps there are those in our lives that remember us from a harsh word, or a bitter exchange. Maybe there are those in our past that still define us by sins we struggled with a long time ago.

Regardless of our labels and all their connotations, let's live in a way that the mention of our name gives glory to God.

If I am to be Tara the Liar or Tara the Gossip - so be it, because the way I am now speaks to the redeeming nature of our God. That He would take one such as I to make His precious child. That He would pay the enormous price of His own Son's innocent blood to make me clean again. That He would somehow use my story and my labels to make Him famous and infamous at the same time.

While I do not share in Rahab's specific sin, my sin is as dark as hers nonetheless. I pray that I could leave a legacy like hers that my children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren would be known for their faith as well.

Whether the labels we wear are chosen by us or given to us, may we live in such a way that God is ultimately glorified no matter where or when or how we are mentioned or remembered.