Names

What is in a name?  While I was sitting and watching some TV this afternoon I ran across the movie "Gladiator".  While most of the movie had already been shown I stopped and watched it for a couple of minutes.  For those who may not have seen this movie, it is about a Roman general who is betrayed and his family murdered by the Emperor's corrupt son, and his journey back to Rome as a gladiator to seek revenge.  The scene I watched took place in the Great Colosseum of Rome, in an area where the gladiators were housed.  General Maximus Desimus Meridius' whose identity has been discovered by the new Emperor and all of Rome (Maximus was supposed to have been killed) is wildly popular not only because of his name but by his actions as a Roman general and a gladiator.   As the general and his fellow gladiators are eating in the scene I watched, there is concern that the general's food may be poisoned, but one of the other gladiators make a statement the caught my ear as I was about to change the channel.  He said, "You have a great name.  He (the Emperor) must kill your name before he kills you."

This really hit me and I realized that this is what the enemy does to us.  Even when we do not know what our names mean, Satan does, and often even when we are young he will attack us at this point.  He must “kill your name before he kills you”.  Throughout the Bible great emphasis is placed on naming an infant and the future ramifications that name holds on that person.  Most names have positive connotation but some do not.  Look a couple of OT figures.  Abraham means “father of a multitude” and was the beginning of the nation of Israel.  On the other hand, there is Jacob which means “heal holder or supplanter”, one who lies or connives. While Jacob lived up to his names meaning, God did change it later to Israel which is “God prevails”. In the NT Jesus name means “Jehovah is Salvation” that pretty much says it all, God’s own son sent to save us and His name means just that.

Your names have meanings also, and those meaning are tied in with your personality, passions, talents and gifts making you who God intended you to be.  I have observed over the years that individuals often live up to their names meaning, whether good or bad.  My wife, Sandra is much better at digging up and looking at the meaning behind names than I am, but I am convinced that our given names are as much a part of who we are as anything else, and the enemy does the same to us as the Emperor had to do to Maximus.  He must destroy our names before he can try to destroy us, keeping us from realizing who and what we are in relationship to God.  This is accomplished through the destruction our reputations, smearing our names and making us feel unworthy as we are entangled in sin.  The enemy, in his warped viewpoint must first destroy your name or convince you that you are not who you are supposed to be, as he tries to destroy you.

Because of this it is so important that we know who we are in God's kingdom and what our names denote.  What is in a name?  Find out, know who you are and who you were meant to be and represent.  If you have been redeemed by Christ, you already have a new name/title!  You are a Prince or Princess, a child of the Most High King!! That is a very powerful name to have.  Claim it!!