“A rose is a rose is a rose,” but a name is something else altogether! Names, in God’s realm, are a serious undertaking. For example, look at some of His names, and what they mean:
- Jehovah-Jireh – My Provider
- Jehovah Rapha – My Healer
- Jehovah Raah – My Shepherd
- Jehovah Shalom – The Lord is Peace
- Jehovah Nissi – My Banner
Now, consider some of the people whose names God changed: Abram/Abraham; Sari/Sarah; Jacob/Israel. And, what about people whose names have most specific meanings: Isaac/Laughter; Ichabod/No glory; Ebenezer/The Lord has brought us safe thus far (Ebenezer was, of course, a pillar of stones and not a man!). In the New Testament, Simon became Peter and Saul became Paul.
As names mean so much to God, have you ever considered what your name means? A quick survey of the names of the members of my immediate, or nuclear, family reveals:
- Melissa – Bee/Honey
- Matthew – Gift of the Lord
- Meredith – Great/Splendid
- Clarissa – Bright, Clear, Famous
- Floyd – Gray Haired One/Wise One
Once you know what your name means, you have to ask yourself, “Do I live up to my name?” If you know our family, you might wonder if our son, Matthew, is living up to his name! Melissa is sweet; Meredith is great, and Clarissa is bright!
That, I guess, brings us to me. If you asked a host of people I do believe that they would affirm that, yes, I am wise! The reason is because at a very young age I learned the secret to wisdom, as found in James 1:5, If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally.
Now, you may think, “What a coincidence – your parents named you Floyd and you really are wise!” Well, first of all, there are no coincidences – everything is a part of God’s plan! But, let me share a truly intriguing fact with you: I was named after my dad. That, in itself, is not a big deal. However, consider this: Most parents name their oldest son after Dad – but I was the sixth of six boys! In fact, there was an eleven year gap between me and my youngest brother!
What does all of this mean? I don’t know, maybe nothing! But, I do know this – – God’s Good News is that names are important, and we should strive diligently to live up to the meaning of the name we have been Blessed with!
We named all our kids because of the meaning of their names. My own name Lauren was always a huge disappointment to me it means, “Of the laurel tree” as a kid that was so dumb. But when I became a Christian and read about the victors crown made of laurel leaves I discovered that my name means victory! I was so thrilled I never changed it!
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Not only does it have a beautiful meaning, it is a beautiful name as well!!!
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