What's in a Name? (Friday Devotional)

 

“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are mine.”

- Isaiah 43:1b

I’m going to go out on a limb and guess that the name Reginald Kenneth Dwight doesn’t mean anything to you. The same goes for David Robert Jones, Caryn Johnson, and Dana Elaine Owens. But I imagine you do know those people by these names: Elton John, David Bowie, Whoopi Goldberg, and Queen Latifah.

You see these kinds of name changes from time to time, especially in entertainment circles. In order to stand out, a person will trade their birth name for something more memorable. After all, nobody cares much about Samuel Clemens’ works—but everybody knows Mark Twain!

Similarly, the Bible is full of characters who were born with one name, but became better known by another. More often than not, their name changes were about more than preference; they symbolized a new, God-given identity.

Abram became Abraham, meaning “father of many nations,” when God made a covenant with him. Jacob, after a wrestling match with a divine being, became Israel, “one who struggles with God.” Simon the fisherman became Peter the apostle when Jesus declared that his profession of faith would be the rock upon which the church would be built. And Saul, a zealous Pharisee, began to use his Roman name, Paul, when the Holy Spirit made evident that his ministry would be primarily to Gentiles.

Nowadays, first names are often based on things like family history and how they sound alongside the surname—the etymological meaning behind your name is often more trivial than intentional. But if the Lord changed your name, who might you become? What are you prioritizing, and what is the message your life conveys? How might your identity be summarized in one word?

“A rose by any other name would smell as sweet,” Shakespeare wrote. What kind of witness does your name have?

Racing Headfirst (Friday Devotional)

 

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.

- Matthew 28:19-20

For the past week, the eyes of the world have turned to Milan, where athletes from 93 countries are competing in the Winter Olympics. From the dazzling triple axels of the figure skaters to the eye-popping ski jumps to the baffling rules of curling, there’s something for everyone to watch.

One of my favorites to tune in for is skeleton, which has been a permanent fixture at the Winter Olympics since 2002. Comparable to luge and bobsled, this sport demands each participant ride a small, flat sled headfirst down a frozen track after getting a running start. Riders plunge down the track at speeds exceeding 80 mph, using only their bodies to direct the twists and turns. While slower than luge or bobsled, skeleton has always seemed the scariest of the three sliding sports to me for two reasons: the complete lack of protection the sled gives you and the direction you are facing. There’s something truly terrifying about going that fast headfirst!

Not only is that image a scary one, it seems metaphorical as well—sometimes life feels like a skeleton race. Things come at you fast, dangerously fast. It feels like you’re all on your own, with no teammates or protection if you crash. And you’re watching it all with wide eyes as you hurtle through life headfirst.

But for believers, there is comfort in knowing that these insecurities are grounded in fear, not reality. For those who know Jesus, life is not a solo sport, but one in which God is with you always. You are not without protection, but are in fact empowered by the Holy Spirit. And far from being a helpless passenger hurtling through life, you are given purpose and a mission by the Lord: to proclaim the gospel in word and deed.

Life can be scary sometimes, but what a comfort to know that God has given us what we need to persevere in his name. So carry on today, knowing that your “gold medal” awaits in eternity!

Pursuing Virtue (Friday Devotional)

Whoever pursues righteousness and kindness will find life and honor.

- Proverbs 21:21

Every day at my house, my family turns into a search party. Maybe we’re after a water bottle. Could be a sock that’s missing its mate. Perhaps a book or a jacket or a cell phone. Whatever the case, all five of us find ourselves ransacking the house trying to track down what’s lost. In a family of five, something is always missing—and it’s up to us to find it.

The proverb above describes a different sort of pursuit—not of a tangible item, but of virtues. In Solomon’s day, as in ours, righteousness and kindness were hard to come by. Our world is not a place where justice or mercy are naturally found; especially when you’re vulnerable or marginalized, expectations are that things are going to get worse for you, not better. As a result, the cynical person learns to live by the law of the jungle instead of the law of love, looking out solely for themselves and doing whatever is necessary to get ahead.

But Scripture compels believers to follow the way of the Lord, pursuing what is good even when the benefits of doing so are not readily apparent. When the cultural expectation is vengeance, Jesus commands us to forgive. When the flesh compels you to hurt someone, the Spirit calls you to heal them. When the world tells you to take what’s yours, the cross points you to sacrifice.

Christian virtues can be hard to find these days. But when you pursue them, then in Christ you will find the kind of life and honor the world could never hope to offer.