Names

There is a war going on all over this world. The war is one of power, respect and creating "names" for ourselves. Each day some people strive to become better, bigger and achieve more. The war is all over. It is in Michigan, California, Lesotho, South Africa and beyond. The only outcome this war will have is one of heartache and false power. I have to confess, I am a part of this war, but each and every day I desire to surrender my personal pride and cling to the Name that is above all other names.

I have been thinking a lot lately about the power a name can bring. Based upon your name, people can be influence positivity or negatively. Based upon your name people know your family, your tribe, your culture. A big part of my job is making connections for Beautiful Gate. I am amazed at how if I use someone's name people respond. When meeting people, it is often I hear about mutual friends of Beautiful Gate or past volunteers or people who have been to Lesotho before. Names are good. Names are a frame of reference.

But the war starts when the name becomes your "god."

I was reminded of this yesterday as I picked up a baby from the Department of Social Welfare. This little child had a name, but not many people knew it. His name carried no power or fame. As I held him in my arms waiting for the reports, I wondered what his journey looked liked. I wondered how many people heard his cries and acted. Instead of thousands of people flocking over him, like the children of royal or political families only one person acted when they heard the cry. Instead of placing him in a crib or car seat to keep him safe, he was put in a trash bag and left in a village. His name isn't one of fame or power, but to me, he is great. To the family who will raise him and care for him, his name is great. To the people he may one day impact for Christ, his name is great.

When I think about names, I realize there are pressures placed upon people because of their name. If your family is great, you to should be great. For me, I want my "name" to reflect my Abba. I eagerly desire for His name to be great. I feel completely dirty because sin creeps into my life and causes me to want respect and a place because of what I do. I desire to say like Paul, “'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong" (2 Corinthians 12:9-10). I am weak and have a lot of weaknesses. I desire for those weaknesses to shine through, so that the joy of Christ may be present in me. I want others to look at me and not see me at all. I want Jesus name on my lips every second of every day.

I confess there are moments in my life when I want to feel important, but yesterday as I held a child in my arms whose was placed in a trash bag, the need to feel important fades and the desire for everyone to know that there is only ONE NAME that matters in this world. And that name is Jesus. He is better than every thing.