A NEW NAME
At one time, I led a Bible study with Kenny Rogers, and spent quite a bit of time hanging out with him. I also attended church with Tim McGraw. Impressed? Don’t be. These men weren’t famous. They were everyday guys who just happened to share the names of celebrities.
Here’s another one. I knew a man who attended high school with Kevin Costner. At their class reunion, not surprisingly, the famous actor was a no-show. When the coast was clear, one of his classmates snuck over to the welcome table, and snatched Costner’s name tag. He spent the rest of the evening pretending to be Kevin Costner.
Face it. We all wear nametags. Labels we claim. Self-imposed identities. Perhaps it’s “Addict” or “Co-dependent” or “Loser.” The list can be endless. We act according to how we see ourselves, and ultimately, these self-imposed identities wear us down like a grinding wheel.
Here’s a thought. What if we chose to wear the name-tag our Creator gave us? What if we allowed Him to define us? What if we adopted our God-given identity, rather than the one the world and our enemy tag us with?
When we come to Him, God slaps a new label on our lapel—a new name. Isaiah 62:2 declares, “you will be given a new name by the Lord’s own mouth.” Two verses later, He identifies the “new name” (or “names”). “You will be called My Delight Is in You, and your land My Beloved Wife” (TPT). So much more than a mere moniker on a paper tag, those are brand-new names for a brand-new you.
The New Testament piles it on, adding one new name after another. We’re His Dwelling Place (Ephesians 3:17 ); His Delightful Children (Ephesians 1:5); Chosen of God, Holy and Beloved (Colossians 3:12). Should I keep going? Trust me, I could. And the guy pretending to be Kevin Costner thought he was a bigshot? Ha!
One Sunday at church, the preacher gave everyone pre-printed name tags containing one simple word: “Beloved.” It’s amazing. That’s who God declares us to be! Let’s not waste our lives chasing identities culture says gives us significance. I realize the guy was just having fun, but we don’t need to swipe Kevin Costner nametags. Because the Creator of the Universe thinks we are amazing!
Principle: When we come to Christ, God gives us a brand-new idenitty.
Ponder:
What “name tag” am I allowing the enemy and the world to place on me?
Of all the names God gives me, which is the most meaningful?
Pursue: For a deeper dive, study Isaiah chapter 62.
Prayer: “Heavenly Father, your blessings are so amazing. You not only save me, but give me a new identity. I thank you and praise you!”
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