Hosea 2:23 I will show my love to the one I called "Not my loved one." I will ay to those called "Not my people," "You are my people," and they will say, "You are my God."
Names still have significance...even as they did thousands of years ago. In Africa, one of our pastors was named "Machine" in honor of the large machine, a generator, that arrived the day he was born. Jeudi or Tuesday was named in honor of the day of his birth. My firstborn was named Beth Ann in honor of her grandmother Elizabeth and my sister Margaret Ann and best friend Veronica Ann. My second born is Amy Gale, after one grandmother - Lesta Abigail and another, Eva Gale. My son, James Richard King, after his dad and his dad's best friend Richard and my favorite Uncle Dick. Oh, those names were not chosen because of their literal translation, but to honor selected people, chosen because of their character and significance in our lives.
But more than a name given to me by my family, I have a title, a relationship descriptor - I am a Christian, a child of God, also full of meaning. When people hear you are a Christian, they have an idea of how you should behave; perhaps they attribute certain values to you, and hold you to them. Sometimes that is a good thing, and other times, a very bad thing, when you come up short or even when you do live up to their expectations - perhaps that you would be hypocritical.
The most important thing though is how God thinks we are doing with His Name. My mother was a gracious lady, and my daughter named after her really consistently represents her well. My Savior God Jesus Christ, after Whom I am called is loving, merciful, wise, kind, patient, forgiving, and creative. I wonder how closely others perceive me as measuring up to that standard.
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