Friends, there's something I've been wrestling with lately, and I suspect you might be too. It's this quiet tension that sits between who we've been and who we're becoming, especially when our identity has been so tightly woven into our titles, our roles, our labels.
To put it simply, I've watched too many brilliant women shrink themselves into boxes that were never meant to contain them. And honestly? I've done it myself.
The Title Was a Tool, Not Your Identity
Your title may change, but your value does not wobble.
Here's what I'm learning: a title is supposed to describe what you do, not define who you are. But somewhere along the journey, through promotions, responsibilities, expectations, we start worshiping the role and forgetting the person underneath.
I remember the moment it hit me. I was introducing myself at a networking event, and I realized I hadn't said my name without my title in months. "Hi, I'm Dr. So-and-So" or "I'm the Director of..." When did I stop being just me?
The truth that Scripture reminds us in 1 Peter 2:9 is profound: "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession." Notice it doesn't say "if you have the right title" or "when you achieve the right position." You are chosen. Period.
Your assignment: whether it's CEO, teacher, nurse, mother, or mentor: these are temporary roles God has entrusted to you. But your identity? That's rooted in something far deeper and far more permanent.
Labels Can Become Limitations When You Wear Them Too Long
If the label limits you, it's not an identity: it's a cage.
Sometimes we outgrow a label but keep dragging it out of habit. "The strong one." "The fixer." "The reliable one." "The one who never says no." At first, these labels feel flattering: until they become confining.
I'm truly grateful for the season when God showed me which labels I had accepted that I never actually agreed to. It was uncomfortable, but necessary. Which label did you accept that you never actually agreed to?
The beautiful thing about our faith is that it's built on renewal. Romans 12:2 tells us to "be transformed by the renewing of your mind." This isn't a one-time event: it's an ongoing process of letting God show us who we really are beneath the expectations others have placed on us.
When you start asking yourself these questions: What do I actually value? What makes me come alive? What would I pursue if no one was watching?: you begin to separate your essence from your assignments.
You're Allowed to Redefine Yourself: Even If People Get Confused
People may need a minute to meet the new you. Give them the minute: but don't shrink back into who you outgrew.
Here's something that requires courage: reinvention makes people uncomfortable because they want to relate to the familiar version of you. Not because they're malicious, but because change challenges them to examine their own growth.
But listen: 2 Corinthians 5:17 declares that "if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!" This isn't just theological poetry. This is your permission slip to evolve, to grow, to become who God is shaping you to be.
I've had to learn to handle others' discomfort with compassion while refusing to abandon my evolution. When people say, "You've changed," I've started responding with, "Thank you. I'm still changing." Growth is not something to apologize for.
The woman you're becoming deserves the space to emerge, even if it takes others time to adjust to her.
Who You Are Without the Title Is Who You Really Are
Your essence existed before your title: and it will outlive every one of them.
Strip away the business card. Strip away the role. Strip away the expectations and the applause. What's left? That's the part God is shaping. That's the part that reinvention pulls forward.
This is where I invite you to pause with me for a 30-second grounding check:
- What do I value when no one is looking?
- What do I believe about myself beyond my achievements?
- What makes me come alive, regardless of recognition?
These questions help you tap into the identity that exists beneath achievement. Because the truth is, your worth was established before you earned your first promotion, before you received your degree, before you gained anyone's approval.
You are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14), not because of what you've accomplished, but because of whose you are.
Release the Title... Keep the Grace, Wisdom, and Skill
You are not starting over. You're starting from wisdom.
We fear losing titles because we think we'll lose the power that came with them. But here's what I've discovered: You keep the growth. You keep the mastery. You keep the lessons. You just release the shell.
Every experience, every challenge, every victory has shaped you into someone stronger, wiser, and more capable. When you step into a new season, you're not starting from scratch: you're starting from accumulated wisdom, grace, and divine preparation.
This is leverage, not loss. This is God positioning you for the next level of your purpose.
Walking Forward in Faith
Whatever label tried to shrink you: release it.
Whatever title tried to contain you: outgrow it.
You were somebody before the title, and you will be somebody after.
I'm truly grateful for this journey we're on together, friends. The space between who we were and who we're becoming isn't comfortable, but it's holy ground. It's where God does His most beautiful work of transformation.
Now step into your day with clarity, confidence, and courage... because who you are becoming is bigger than any role you've ever held.
A Moment of Reflection
Before you close this page, I want to offer you a simple prayer and reflection:
God, help me see myself through Your eyes today. Show me which labels I've been carrying that don't reflect who You created me to be. Give me courage to step into the woman You're shaping me to become, even when others need time to understand. I trust that my identity is secure in You, and my worth is not dependent on my title. Amen.
Take a moment now: Write down one label you're ready to release and one truth about who God says you are. Let this be your starting point for the beautiful work of becoming.
Your essence is eternal. Your purpose is evolving. And your worth is never, ever in question.