What's In a Name?

 

“Being included in God’s family is the highest honor and the greatest privilege you will ever receive.  Nothing else comes close.” [1]

             God loved us so much that He adopted us into His family (Ephesians 1: 5) and made us co-heirs with Christ (Romans 8: 17). 

             When we are born or adopted into a family, one of the most significant factors that identify us as a family member is the family name.  People know that we belong to a particular family because of our name.  Being a member of God’s family is no different.  Paul tells us in Ephesians that God’s family, both here and in heaven, gets its name from the Father (Ephesians 3: 14, 15).  We also know that as Christians, Christ’s name identifies us as members of the family of God.  Even in the Old Testament God referred to His people as being called by His name (II Chronicles 7:14). 

             Being a part of the family has one other significance regarding our name, and that is that the Father knows our names.  John 10: 3 tells us that the Shepherd calls His sheep by name.  He knows each one of us individually.  I love this passage in Isaiah:

             “See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hand…” (Isaiah 49:16 NIV84).

             As a member of the family, God has each of us engraved on the palm of His hand, much like proud parents carry family photos in their wallets or on their phones.

            God has given us His name, He knows each of us individually and carries us with Him right on the palm of His hand.  Can it get any better than that?!  What a blessing God has given us, but it is also one of responsibility.  Since we wear the family name, we represent it and Him in everything we do.  When people see the Christian shirt or the WWJD bracelet, they immediately see us as part of God’s family.  Then, they begin to watch to see if our actions reflect our family values. 

 How many times have our failures been magnified because we knew that we disappointed our parents?  How many times have we worked harder and tried to do the right thing because we wanted our parents to be proud of us?

 God is watching.  He sees everything we do.  How many times will we disappoint Him this week?  Wouldn’t it be better to put a smile on His face and hear Him say, “That’s my kid, and I’m so proud!” Let’s each take the time to consider how we are representing the family name this week.  After all, our goal should be to make Abba Father proud!

Ephesians 1: 3 – 14

Ephesians 3: 14 - 19


[1] Warren, Rick, The Purpose Driven Life, Zondervan, 2002, Page 121

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