“A good name is to be chosen rather than
great riches, loving favor rather than silver and gold.” –
Proverbs 22:1
Even as a young girl I had ideas about what I would
name my children. I believe I can safely
say they’re very happy that I decided against some of those names. Otherwise my daughter might be named Isla Fairity,
or Harmony Grace!
I think we all as parents try our best to give
our child a special name. Sometimes it’s
from a dear relative, sometimes from a novel or movie, and a lot of times it’s
from the Bible. Yet, no matter what that
name is, it’s the child who makes the name.
Let’s do a little survey. I’m going to give you 5 names, and I want you
to write down what these names mean to you. Ready?
Albert
Andrea
Charles
Belle
Katrina
Ted
Consider how different these names become when
they’re attached to a person or event.
Albert means noble and bright, but was the name
of Al Capone.
Andrea means manly or virile, yet many girls
carry the name. You may have thought of
Andrea Bocelli, a famous opera singer.
Charles means free man, but Charles Manson would disagree.
Belle means beautiful, but few would call Belle
Gunness was a serial killer.
Katrina means pure, but most likely you
remembered hurricane Katrina.
Ted means a gift of God, but Ted Bundy who raped
and murdered numerous women and girls had nothing to do with God.
Shakespeare said “a rose by any other name would
still smell as sweet”, but if Rose became the name of a plague or serial
killer, we’d no longer appreciate the name Rose.
Proverbs says a good name is greater than riches
and gold. But that name is just a name. The proverb refers to the reputation that
backs up the name.
Several times in the Bible God renames
someone. I believe it’s so that they
could walk in a different reputation. Saul,
killer of Christians, was first called Paul in Cyprus after his conversion. Simon was a fisherman, but Peter was the name
he was given, meaning “upon this rock I will build my church;
and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18). Abram became Abraham when God told him he
would be the father of a great nation, and his wife Sarai became Sarah.
It’s not the name that you should desire, it’s the reputation.
I heard something today that hit home regarding names. We all love the name Jesus and have read the Philippians
2:9 which says God gave Jesus “the name which is above every name”. I’ve always seen this as a statement of the sacredness
of the name Jesus. But not today. It’s about reputation. It’s about the man,
not the name. As I heard a pastor say it
today.
The name Jesus is above Covid 19.
The name Jesus is above depression.
The name Jesus is above poverty.
The name Jesus is above evil.
…and you can continue the pattern.
Jesus is greater than all our problems.
Yes, a name is special. But
when we’re choosing one for our children, it’s not going to be a good name
unless it has the attachment of a good reputation. A rose stem without a flower is nothing but
thorns.
So here's the thing. Parents, put as much attention on keeping
your child's reputation a good one as you would your own. Let them grow up to
understand right and wrong, to have hearts full of love and goodness. Teach
them through your own actions to be patient, kind, loving, giving, and so on.
Friends, we are all the product of our environment to a great extent. Make your
child's environment free of all forms of evil. Explain to them what a
reputation is and the value of keeping it clean.
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