Monda, April 27th, 2009 "What's In a Name?"

FUSION Devo: Monday, April 27^th, 2009
Title: What’s In a Name?
Text: Proverbs 22:1 (NIV)
¹ A good name is more desirable than great riches;
to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.

What’s in a name? Have you ever thought about your name? Do you like it? Does it seem to fit you and your personality? A name is a funny thing and something that will follow you your entire life. I have thought of my name a lot over the years. “Steve” is a decent name. I’m not saying that I dislike it, but I’m not convinced that it is a name that really wows you when you hear it. It rolls off the tongue pretty easily, but it really doesn’t pack a punch. I can remember thinking how cool the name “Rocky” or even adding a little Spanish twist to it, like “Estaban”. Now that’s a cool name for a pasty-white guy who looks like he grew up in Ireland.

Now there have been some great names throughout history and there have certainly been some, well let’s just call them, unusual names. We’ve all heard the names like John, Brian, Jim, Chris and so on. Girl’s names like Sally, Kim, Kathy, and the list could go on for days. And those are all definitely fine names, but then I think of some of those names that when you hear just sticks with you. I have a few friends who have great names. Names that you may have not heard of before and definitely names that kind of burn themselves into your brain. 2 people at the church I am the youth pastor at are “Fleeta” and “Jenner”. Aren’t those cool names? Again, nothing wrong with other names, but they are just unusual enough to stick with you. I’ve got a friend who is a youth pastor in California and his name is “Rush”. Now that is a cool name. And he can pull it off. His name totally fits him and his persona. He’s an edgy, cool, laid-back, surfer-type youth pastor who is extremely artistic. I could go on about many others, but those are just a few names that have really jumped out at me.

Think about it. A name really does say something about you and maybe even your family. And I can certainly say that we all feel it is important to try to uphold the honor of our names. We should all also understand that when we do something to tarnish that family name, if can often be a long, hard road back from the point of disappointment. And sometimes our actions can negatively impact a name so much that it may never recover and always bring with it a negative reaction or thought. Names like Hitler, Manson and Judas are some of the most infamous names a person could say. Mainly because of the actions of the men who carried those names.

Well, those of us that consider ourselves Christ-Followers have allowed ourselves to be given a name as well. It is a name that is added onto our given names and speaks volumes about who we are, or at least who we claim to be. That name is “Christian”. Dictionary.com defines this name as anyone who believes in Jesus Christ and is a person who exemplifies in his or her life the teaching of Christ. Basically when we take on this the name of Christian we are acknowledging that we are believers and followers of Jesus Christ and asked for Jesus to forgive us of our sins, be our personal Lord and Savior and we will strive to follow the example set by Jesus. I would certainly say that there is definitely some power in that name and it also brings with it a high responsibility to be a person who brings honor on Christ.

I have seen people connected with the church, including myself, wearing all of the Christian gear, having the fish on the back of the car, wearing the cross around our necks, and so on. But then we allow ourselves to slide outside of that name and take on other characteristics that are not usually present in the lives of a Christian. We may not speak with love and compassion the way that Christ calls his followers to do. Maybe we participate in worldly activities such as improper relationships, partying, drinking and doing drugs. We may slide away from the much needed fellowship with other believers and before we know it, we are nowhere near the solid path that God would rather us journey on, and we find ourselves sinking deeper into the trappings of a dark world. And in the midst of this, all the while we wave the banner and continue to proclaim that are “Christians”. Then the world that has been watching us thinks to itself, “Why would I ever be associated with something like that? They’re no different than I am.” And we wonder why the word “Hypocrite” is used so often when the world refers to us.

If we are authentic followers of Christ, we should all quickly understand that our actions, behavior and words scream load and clear who we truly are and impacts that name of Jesus Christ. It is a name that should not be taken on lightly. It is a name that we should be proud and honored to carry. It is a name that if represented properly can bring such love, mercy, compassion, blessing and even has the ability to help others realize an eternal life in paradise with our Creator. But if the name “Christian” is not cared for and used appropriately can do more harm than we ever thought possible.

So next time you wonder what’s really in name, please remember that a name says far more than we realize and has the ability to help or harm. The choice is up to us.

Something to Think About:

· In what ways do you think you negatively represent the name “Christian”?

· In what ways do you think you positively represent the name “Christian”?

· Do you proudly carry that name or are you sometimes scared to show it off and maybe you even hide so others don’t notice?

· What can you do to better represent the name “Christian”?

A Few Minutes with God:

God, I thank you for the privilege to be called your follower. Help me to strive to represent the name of Christ in a way that will positively impact the people I encounter and shine brightly in a world that is need of seeing love, compassion and mercy and remove the image of hypocrisy. Amen.