What’s In A Name?

by Guest Blogger Tracy Holstein

I love the story of Hannah in the Bible. I love the story so much that my husband and I named our second daughter Hannah—partly for the story and partly for the meaning of the name—“God is Gracious”.     MORE

I found an article with a list of things to consider when picking a name for your baby. And the first suggestion was this—choose several names. Go to a busy playground and call the names out loud. If you feel uncomfortable shouting the names or if several children answer you, then rethink that name.

I thought it was a joke and continued reading—expecting more ideas that would leave me chuckling. But the rest of the list contained very serious, good suggestions when considering baby names. I think the first suggestion was serious, too. Who would do this—go to a playground—especially if this was their first child or they didn’t have any other children with them—and just start yelling out names? Can you imagine the commotion it would cause? It would either look like: 1) you lost a bunch of kids; 2) you were trying to get kids to come to you—which is a really bad move on a playground in our culture; and 3) it would definitely give the impression that, frankly, you need help—or, as my Hannah puts it, “Your cheese slipped off your cracker.”

We are blessed that our Heavenly Father bestows on His children names that carry meaning and significance. In a quick search, I found 37 names God calls believers. Here are some of them:

• Salt of the Earth: In Jesus’ time, just like now, salt was used to make food taste better and to preserve food. As Christians, we are called to be the “salt of the earth”, with the charge of making the world a habitable place.

• Imitators of God: This is not just the emotion behind a quick hug and smile on Saturday night to the people sitting around you. It is the action of self-sacrifice.

• The Body: There are many parts to our human body that work toward a common goal—health, long-life. We are the many parts of the Body of Christ that should also work together for a common goal—to spread the love of Jesus Christ.

I encourage you this week to open the Bible and find other names for believers and discuss them in your families. Ask, “How am I living out this name?” “Do others think of this name when they see me?” “If not, how can I change that?”

And one other note—the names that God has for us all evoke action for His kingdom. There is no name in the Bible called “Pew Sitter” or “Nothing to Contribute”. So, find your name in the Bible and live out its meaning.

Dear God, thank you for all the names by which you call us. We promise to start living in response to their meaning. Amen