For we walk by faith, not by sight. 2 Corinthians 5:7 (NKJV)

Signs and Labels – The Labels Series – Part 1

Go to PART 1  |  PART 2  |  PART 3  |  PART 4

In January 2015, one of my favorite podcasts, Invisibilia (all you neuroscience buffs will love it, check it out), released an episode called “How to Become Batman”, where the hosts looked at a study done by a Psychologist named Bob Rosenthal.

Bob snuck into his lab late one night and posted signs on his lab-rat’s cages (for real). On some cages, he hung signs that read “smart.” On others, he hung signs that read “dumb.” These signs were distributed randomly; there was nothing different about any of these rats that would set some apart from others. The difference between them all was literally the sign that hung above them.

The next day he asked the researchers to run the rats through mazes and test their times. Some would get the “smart” rats, and others would get the “dumb” rats.

We know that regardless of what sign these rats were placed under, they were, in fact, all the same. However, the results they garnered from the study were nothing short of astounding.

The rats labeled “smart” completed their mazes 50% faster than the ones labeled “dumb.” The test was repeated over and over, and each time, the results were similar. The labels had a decisive impact on the rat's performance.

One of the other interesting things Bob discovered in his study is that when you think a particular rat is smart, you treat it more gently, more deliberately. Almost more tenderly; with more investment and energy. And the rat subconsciously responds to these greater affections, too.

There’ve been many studies since that prove that a teacher’s expectation can raise or lower a student’s IQ; a parent’s expectation can influence whether a child's future; a Military Trainer’s expectation can make a soldier faster or slower.

When our expectations of another person are little – when we deem them to be on a lower level than ourselves – we tend to change the way we interact with them. We stand further away. Smile and even talk and engage with them less. Or even stand with our back turned, hardly acknowledging them. We don’t treat them with as much respect or kindness as we do someone whom we deem to be on a similar or higher level than ourselves.

These “signs” or labels might seem subtle, but the message they project is like a river of expectancy.

Or faith, one might say.

In the divine economy, there are no “levels” or labels; no signs that display one's worth or value as being greater, or less than another. Labels are for boxes, not for people.

Faith puts us all on the same playing field, it effectively removes our dividing labels and brings us all together, where we belong.

There is only one label over all of us: love.

God’s expectation of and for each one of us is filtered through the lens of eternity; through faith and grace.

So it is with those around us. When we choose to see others with faith and grace (like we are seen and wish to be seen), we will treat them differently. And how we treat others has a tremendous impact on their life, and the world around them. We might not ever know just how much.

Go to Part 2 – The Impossible »

Written by Jesse Milani
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