What's Your Name?

When we are getting to know someone, we want to know their name. When watching little kids make friends, the first question they generally ask is "Who are you?" or "What's your name?"

When meeting someone for the first time, especially grandparents, I have found this answer an important one to get right. Once you say who you are, that's what you become to them from that moment on. You want to make sure you are heard correctly and remembered in a positive way. Whether that be, "Hi, I'm Claire" or "I am so and so's daughter" or "I am _____'s friend", " I work with, go to school with or attend church with ____". That becomes your identifier.

When I'm texting people, I tend to start important or excitable messages with their names. I'm not sure why I do this; they know who I am texting and I know who I am texting, but something about calling them by their name adds emphasis and attention to the message.

What if we did this in our prayer life?

What if we came to God and addressed Him as what He is?

If you are misheard or misassociated, depending on how you introduced yourself in the first exchange, that can really cause some problems down the road. The same is true when we speak about ourselves.

If we begin to forget who we are, we can start to grow or live under something that isn't true. God says you are a son or daughter. You are set free. Set apart. Created. Clean. A city on a hill. His image. His workmanship. A temple. A new creation. Conquerors. Citizens of Heaven.

These are just a few names given to the one who accepts Christ as their Savior.

Not only is important to remember our God-given names, but also to share these names with others. It should be no secret when you walk away from an exchange, who your Savior is. There should be no mistaking your name or who you are.

When you are brought up in a conversation, is Follower of Christ one of the names given to you? Or does your name look more like gossip, shame, untrustworthy, unreliable, unfriendly, etc.? How you introduce yourself matters. What name you decide to live under matters.

I'm not sure if you realized the underlined "decide" in the last sentence, but that is because we would all be those dirty, sad things without Christ. Sometimes, I am sure I could still be described as those things. I'll admit it. It hurts, it feels lonely, but that is not where I dwell and that is not who I am because my name above all others is Saved. Redeemed. Forgiven. Loved. Cherished. Clean. Hopeful. Chosen.