The Problem With Labels.

I found the picture above, and it really struck me as interesting. If you haven't already, read it carefully. A GENUINELY FAKE watch?! Well, I'll put that one on my Christmas list for sure!

Chances are, if that sign did not say that the watches were actually fake, people who were not that educated about watches might buy a watch, thinking that it is genuine. People might be confused when they first see this sign, but hopefully they will figure out what it means after a minute or two. THE WATCHES ARE FAKE! *Gasp!!!!!* It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that one out.

Think about it. What if everyone had a sign hanging on their chest that revealed a secret about them? Sure, your mama might have told you not to judge a book by it's cover, but honestly, haven't we all at some point?

Like the Bible in Matthew 7:3 says, "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?" That is a really good question. We get upset at people for judging as, but we continue to judge other people. Of course, it's natural. We are only human, though we should always try to show less judgment for those around us. That doesn't mean we should totally ignore people's flaws, but we should forgive them.

Yes, a good number of cheaters will still cheat, liars will still lie, and abusers will still abuse. However, the ones who actually do change will most likely still be cast out of society. They will still have that label for doing whatever it is that they did in the past. It is true; we deserve to know what they did for our own safety. The one thing that we need to remember though, is that we are all human. We all have made mistakes. We all have wronged someone. We all have had to put up with the consequences of our actions in one way or another, and we ALL have the ability to change. So despite our differences, we all have that one little thing in common, if nothing else.

We aren't really all that different than the watches really. Humans are constantly trying to overcome the negative labels that society has cast upon us. Maybe it is time to stop labeling so much, and start listening.