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.