What's Your Name?

Scripture Reference:

"And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory: and thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the LORD shall name."

Isaiah 62:2

Names are important. Expecting parents often spend months trying to find the perfect name for their

child. In many cultures it is believed that a person’s name directly correlates with their future. In the

Bible we find several examples where a person’s name was changed. This usually occurred because the original name no longer represented the change that was occurring in their life. For example, after Saul’s conversion he is referred to as Paul (Acts 19 and Acts 13:13). Bible scholars debate if this is an actual name change or if he used the names interchangeably. Regardless of the debate, the name Saul is associated with persecuting the early Christians, whereas the name Paul is associated with spreading the Gospel.

As we embrace this period of change within our ministry, let us examine ourselves both individually and collectively. What characteristics are associated with our name? Is our name associated with

controversy or good works? Proverbs 22:1 reminds us that “…a good nameis worth more than silver or gold”. As ambassadors for Christ, our prayer should be “Lord, let me live so that people will praise Your name …”(Psalms 143:11). Let us strive to uphold the good name that God has given us. He calls us His Beloved, so let us be loving toward others. He called us Forgiven, so even when it’s hard to do, let us forgive others. He has called us Blessed, therefore we should be a blessing to those around us.

Song: My Name is Victory- Johnathan Nelson