Your Name is Important to God

“It’s Key-Miah!” She loudly interrupted me as I took roll on my first day. 

I mispronounced her name and quickly discovered the best alternative to taking attendance was to call last names for the first week or so, then when I know first names in private, I can have the confidence to take roll quietly to save myself embarrassment. Besides, with the type of first names coming through my classroom door, I likely had better luck doing it this way.

As a rookie teacher, fresh out of college and three weeks into a move from Michigan to Arizona, I was culture shocked into a classroom of names that could be pronounced three different ways.

Was it Kee-em-yah? Keem-yah? Kime-yah? Is it Aaliyah? Kiemyah was how you spelled it, so you can loosen up on the heavy criticism. Despite having what I felt was flawless justification for mispronouncing the young, confident student’s name (possibly named by phonemically unaware and uneducated parents), she was also justified to react the way she did. Why? Because she knew as well as I did that her name is significant – it represents her identity.

The significance of a name dates back to Bible times, when mothers and fathers would name their children because of what it translated to. Samuel was named by his mother Hannah because “I asked the Lord for him” (1 Samuel 1:20); Isaac was born with his name because “God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me” (Genesis 21:6); Esau was given his name at birth because “his whole body was like a hairy garment” (Genesis 25:25). Names are critical to one’s identity. As a teacher, I’ve had my fair share of getting names mixed up. When I do, it’s the same reaction, one of offense: 

“Did you just call me Jacob?” one student would say with disgust written all over his face. 

“My name is not Amanda!” another would blurt out, dismissing the possibility that the error was an accident. 

And don’t get me started on classroom where multiple kids have the same name. If you forget to give each one a separate nickname to distinguish the two or three early on in the school year, you’ll constantly have each one approach your desk when you only wanted to speak to one of them.

“But you called my name,” they would respond in unison, as if they practiced for months in anticipation of this day.

“I know, I meant that Dylan.” I point at the correct Dylan in hopes it would correct my error and set all moods straight.

Arguing back, they would all figure out creative ways to say, “Well how am I supposed to know.”

If you number them, they are temporarily satisfied until all but one of them discovers a nickname like Doc or DJ to distinguish themselves from anyone else who has remotely the same name. Now, there is no longer a Dylan, Dylan, and Dylan. There’s a DJ, Doc, and Dylan. Why? They want to stand out, be unique, and have a name like no one else. When they are given the wrong name or given a nickname without consent, they get frustrated, bitter, and offended.

One year, a student told another student, “Please stop calling me Victor, because my name is Victoria and…” she hesitated, “Victor is a boy’s name.”

Aside from taking pride in her own name, she also liked being Victoria or Vickie because it identified her with a girl name – because she is a girl. Not just any girl, a girl named Victoria or Vickie.

Outside of the classroom and Bible, celebrities take tremendous pride in their name. Russell Westbrook, a guard for the Los Angeles Lakers (NBA basketball team) in 2022, was being harassed by a fan of the opposing team. After the NBA game where he was being taunted for his playing ability, he was interviewed and said, “When it comes to basketball, I don’t mind the criticism of missing and making shots. But the moment it becomes where my name is getting shamed, it becomes an issue.” What Westbrook said is what many can’t argue with because they too would feel the same. Why? Our name is connected to our identity. A legacy we build the moment we are born. Whatever we connect to our identity we want to protect at all costs.

This is what humans all have in common: a longing to be accepted, recognized, understood, and respected. Names encourage that. Whether a person is bullied and called names they hate or that person is called lovely names that remind them of their worth and value, we are constantly aware that a name is deeply connected to our sense of purpose and calling.

So, how do the importance of names relate to the Jesus and the Word of God? Simply put, Jesus knows us by name, and he values it the same, if not more than we do. If you’ve gone to any contemporary, likely non-denominational, Gen-Z church, you’ve probably heard the most common song sung by Cory Asbury about Jesus being good at this whole identity thing and making us feel good about our place in the world:

"Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God / Oh it chases me down / fights 'til I'm found / leaves the 99 / And I couldn't earn it / I don't deserve it / still you give yourself away..." 

You’re probably singing the worship song in your head right now, and it likely means you’ve been to a Gen-Z Non-Denominational church. What does “leave the 99” mean? According to this song, it means Jesus will come for you and find you no matter what it takes. It means Jesus will step away from the 99 sheep to save the one who has gone astray, and it is Biblical (see Matthew 18:12-14 and Luke 15:3-7 for reference), so kudos to Cory and every church that sings it on Sunday morning.

But Jesus going after the one even if it means temporarily leaving behind the 99 to get you isn’t the only reason Jesus is a good shepherd.

He knows our name.

According to John 10:14-15:

“I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.”

What does this verse mean? He knows the name you identify as because your identity matters to you. It separates you from the rest of the crowd. People argue, but I don’t want to be known or stand out; I want to blend in. No, you don’t want to be embarrassed. Blending in is the best way to not be embarrassed because it is synonymous with hiding. I believe we are known by Jesus in a non-embarrassing way. What Jesus means is he does not just know you because of the church you go to. He does not know you as one of the crowd. He is aware of your existence in the flock and outside of the flock, you matter to him. In a world of someone always outdoing, outsmarting, out-exercising, and outliving you, Jesus still looks over at you and knows you are an individual with specific needs – whether you’re sheep #1 or sheep #2,178. You’re not just one of three Dylans, you’re Doc, and Jesus lays his life down for Doc.

What makes this verse so important is not just that it demonstrates Jesus’ overwhelming, unconditional love for you and your identity, but he enables you to know his voice and respond to it so he can lead you through every aspect of your life.

John 10:3 says,

“The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.”

When we get to the realization that our name – our identity and what makes us unique from the crowd – is important to Jesus, we are more responsive to the voice of God because we catch a glimpse of how in love he is with who we are. You are not just Sheep #382, you’re Amanda, Ashley, Jacob, Isaiah, Doc, Joshua, etc. You are much more than a number, or an Average Joe. You are exceptional, made in His image, and “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14).

The God of the Bible is a God who not only cares about his flock, but cares about each individual sheep of that flock. We don’t respond well to people who are a perceived threat. When we understand that God is not a threat to our name, we desire to hear from him and help lead us to victory, especially in the midst of our deepest, darkest trials.

Jesus loves you, your name, and your identity so much, he will fight for you to be found. Even if it means dying on the cross so you are no longer buried beneath sin, he will pursue you and your heart – not because you’re part of some holy flock or that you love him more than once a week, but because you were made to be loved.

You were made to be in relationship with him.

You were made to know him and be known by him.

When you see the depth of his love for you, you will be more apt to listen to his voice and follow it, because you are aware of how far he is willing to go to demonstrate that love for you.

Romans 5:8,

"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." 

Jesus comes for you whether you feel worthy or not. That's how God demonstrates his love for you: he calls your name by dying on the cross so you can be led out of that condemning mindset and into freedom with him. 

He died for you and your name, because you are important to him. He fought and won against sin so that, instead of being destroyed by it, you could overcome it and be in relationship with him, the Good Shephard who knows you, calls you by name, leads you, and lays his life down for you because your name is important to God.

Handling Stress Like Jesus

Stress, like love, is universal. Because it is universal, most people can relate when the common phrase, “I am stressed out” or “I am overwhelmed” is used when a friend asks for an update on life. Aside from the word “stress” being tossed around at most post-workday gatherings at the local wine-and-dine restaurants as a response to “How are you?”, the overwhelmed feeling is often the reason so many see a therapist or a motivating factor for why we leave a high-paying job; it can also often be a debilitating reason we remove ourselves from social circles, a great relationship, or a reminder of why our childhood was considered traumatic. Stress is so powerful, we often get prescribed medications by our doctor in order to prevent long-term and short-term anxiety, depression, or worse, thoughts of suicide.

In healthy Christian circles, stress is met with prayer, intervention of the Holy Spirit, meditating on the Word and promises of God, and even innocent fun activities such as ax throwing, getting a manicure, or grilling with friends and family to wash away some of that stress. Some of those fun, innocent activities also happens in secular circles, but the point is, stress can run and ruin lives if not properly handled with care. Growing up, my dad made sure to enlighten me by explaining the difference between stress and stressed out, the former often motivating us to do what needs to be done and even reminding us that we need the S-word to discover the potential we have to reach our goals. We are stressed because we care about the outcome, essentially. 

However, we stress out because we let the fear of the worst-case scenario will become a reality and ruin our lives, or at least traumatize us for 10-20 years. Anyone who loves you and wants what’s best for you would hope you avoid feeling stressed out at all costs. Unfortunately, “stressed out” is what Satan finds most amusing because it is at this point where temptation appears more satisfying than the Truth itself (see Matthew 4 as a reference). Stressed out does not happen without stress first taking root. Stressed out is stress out of control. Paul, in 2 Corinthians 10, says that to wage war against the powers of the world by demolishing arguments and claims against God starts when we “take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” (verse 5), because the Gospel of Jesus Christ is persuasive when you observe the Truth of who God is, and when you allow your thought life to turn from disobedience and turn towards the Truth, the evidence of God’s narrative will speak for itself in a mighty way – mightier than any weapon the world uses. Stressed out occurs when we do not take an active, offensive approach to the thoughts that flood our minds when we are stressed. Paul says we need to take captive our thoughts because, just like stress, when we don’t submit our thoughts to God, it can become a destructive weapon that can not only destroy us and the great blessings God gives us (e.g. relationships, friendships, vocations, the will of God, etc.), but our relationship with God. 

If we are not careful, our thoughts in the stressed stage could set up an argument and pretense against God – example: Going from “Why would you do this to me God?” to “You are not a good God, because you allow this to happen in my life.” When we are stressed out, and continue to let our thoughts wander down dangerous roads, we become undisciplined in measuring up the thoughts we think and the feelings we feel to the Truth of God. In addition, we forget that Jesus experienced it too! Let’s take a look at where Jesus experienced arguably the most intense form of stressed out in his lifetime. 

Sure, I would be stressed out if Satan approached me in the wilderness after 40 days and 40 nights of fasting, but I am not referring to Matthew 4, when the ”tempter” came to Jesus to convince him to jump of cliffs and turn stones to bread. Instead, let’s look at the stress Jesus felt right before (12-15 hours before he was arrested) his captors had seized him in order to be crucified on the cross: 

 “They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Sit here while I pray.’ He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. ‘My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,’ he said to them. ‘Stay here and keep watch.’ Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him. ‘Abba, Father,’ he said, ‘everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.’ Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. ‘Simon,’ he said to Peter, ‘are you asleep? Couldn’t you keep watch for one hour? Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.’” – Mark 14:32-37 

The big argument I have heard when people feel immense amount of stress – you can call it stressed out or distressed, but, in my opinion, they mean the same thing – is that “no one knows or understands what I’m going through.” However, not only did Jesus feel copious amounts stress, but he admitted to Peter, James, and John before his arrest, “My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death (Mark 14:34 NLT)” To me, that sounds like stressed out; another version, the NIV, translated, “…[Jesus] began to be deeply distressed and troubled, ‘My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow…” If I were to describe my stress using other words, I may speak like Jesus did here, though if I were to speak of death within the same breath, I would be exaggerating. However, I don’t think Jesus was exaggerating, and if I were about to be handed over and arrested by my “betrayer” (Mark 14:42) in order to be crucified and tortured to death, I would probably compare my grief and distress to death as well. 

According to www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, “Stress responses are normal reactions to environmental or internal perturbations and can be considered adaptive in nature. Distress occurs when stress is severe, prolonged, or both.” In my opinion, this sounds like stressed out. An article about stress and grief from www.webmd.com says, “Stress links the emotional and physical aspects of grief.” Meaning, the grief Jesus probably experienced caused more stress and tension physically and emotionally. Whether we use distressed, stressed out, or grief to describe our intense level of stress, it sounds like semantics to me. The point is, Jesus was so stressed out about his impending, inevitable betrayal and death, that he was feeling the weight and pressure the grief and distress was having on him before the events even unfolded. 

Since stress is universal, and we all experience varying degrees of it, let’s take a look at how Jesus handled the most intense version of it (both physically and emotionally): 

1. He admitted his pain 

2. He approached God with it; he prayed 

3. He worshipped God by declaring what God can do and what he is capable of 

4. Despite his stress, he honored God through commitment to the original plan – he did not forget what God’s plan was 

5. He accepted his role and did not complain 

Instead of using our stress as justification to attack God and demand that either he fix the situation or we threaten to cease the relationship, we should take notes on how Jesus handled a level of stress beyond our own comprehension: he dealt with rejection and betrayal from his closest friends, was publicly humiliated, and sacrificed eternity in Heaven for earthly humiliation and suffering. His mission to set the captives free from the bondage of sin required a crown of thorns and unimaginable pain – physical, emotional, psychological. If anyone knew stress to its fullest extent, it was Jesus. And if Jesus could get past his stress to complete the mission, we can too. 

How? For starters, Jesus prioritized his commitment to the will of the Father. Jesus demonstrated what a life centered on God looks like, and his focus was unwavering. In the book of John alone, check out how Jesus humbly credits the Father during his ministry: 

1. “…I speak what the Father has taught me. The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him” - John 8:28-29 

2. “…now the Son of Man is glorified and God is glorified in him” - John 13:31 

3. “…so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” – John 14:13 

4. “…if you loved me, you would be glad I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I.” – John 14:28 

5. “…I love the Father and do exactly what my Father has commanded me.” – John 14:31 

6. “This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit…” – John 15:8 

If we track the life of Jesus, we see how he handled the pressure he was put under: he immersed himself in the community around him with his disciples, he worshipped God the Father and credited Him for his ministry, and he walked with humility and gratitude. Jesus models in each of these verses that God deserves the glory and praise through sickness, health, suffering, victory, and in this case, stress. We may not have all of the answers, and sometimes we may hear ourselves utter a paraphrased version of “take this cup from me” when we feel “overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death.” Yet, despite how we feel in the moment of stress, we can still find the strength to say, “not my will, but what God will.”

Is it easier said than done? Absolutely, but at a minimum, we can rest in the plans of God in the midst of our stress, for He alone is the strength we need to overcome the worst of days. Amen!

Jesus is Like Honey

It was 2017, and I had a lot of trouble keeping up with expiration dates of food I bought. I am pretty sure I had diced tomatoes in the pantry from 2013 after digging to the way back. As I am pulling out food to throw away, Kevin, my best friend and roommate at the time, didn’t know whether to laugh at my irresponsible behavior or remain shocked that I could not keep track of the food I bought five years prior.

Through the chuckles, he said, “You have to stick to food that never expires, bro.”

I replied, “Like what? What foods do not ever expire.”

His words stumbled out of his mouth as I knew he didn’t have an answer. Finally, he muttered, “I don’t know, honey. Honey never expires.”

Five years later, I recall that moment in the pantry. When I read about Jesus telling the crowd near Capernaum that he is the bread of life and that the one who “eats the bread will live forever,” (John 6:58) and that Jesus is “the bread of life. Whoever comes to [him] will never grow hungry and whoever believes in [him] will never be thirsty” (John 6:35), I thought about honey. Since I am no honey connoisseur, I saw the first answer that appeared on my iPhone. According to wellandgood.com, “Honey never expires…” when “…Kept sealed in an airtight container…even if it crystalizes or darkens over time.”

Not only was Kevin right about honey never expiring, but when properly taken care of, it still holds its value even after visual signs indicate it appears inedible over time.

The more I thought about this idea of honey, Kevin’s conversation with me, and the comparison it could have to Jesus’ words to the crowd about never growing hungry or thirsty, the clearer the picture became to me:

Milk, after time, becomes moldy and curdles; strawberries grow white mold on them after being in the refrigerator too long. Chicken gets poisoned and becomes toxic to eat after 3-5 days after cooked. Even soda goes flat after being opened and sits around for a while. Honey is eternal. Honey is dependable and reliable. Further, if used properly and kept sealed in an airtight container, honey lasts forever. Just like honey, the Word of God and the love of the Father never goes bad; it never becomes worthless, a waste of space. His words and promises never grow stale like Wonder bread. It never collects flies like fruit on the countertop. Jesus is dependable and reliable because he is eternal and the truth that will set us free from bondage.

How do we receive the sweetness of honey? We make use of it in our lives by applying it to the cereal, biscuits, yogurt parfaits, tea, cookies, etc. How do we receive the goodness and eternal life through Jesus – we make use of the Truth he presents to us in our lives by applying it to every situation and circumstance. We allow Him, like honey does to our diet, to change us from the inside out. If we do not let our diet be filled with the sweetness of honey, honey is no longer connected to us and we are no longer influenced by it. If we sever ourselves from connection with Jesus, who does not expire or change for the worst, we lose that influence he has over us. We gravitate towards idols that crumble, fall, and destroy us. John 15:4 says, “Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.”

We must allow the sweetness of Jesus to not just transform us, but forever transform our diet. He must invade the pantry of our heart, and once we make a habit of doing this, it will never expire when he is properly hidden within our hearts and shared to the world as the Good News. Psalm 119:11 says, I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.” Let us not hold back on making Jesus, the honey that never expires, the central focus of our lives, the one we aim to glorify and please, and the most satisfactory aspect of our pantry.