I had an interesting revelation tonight about the Biblical habit of changing people’s names. You know what I’m talking about, Saul to Paul, Simon to Peter, Abram to Abraham, etc. I’ve always had a thought land mine buried in the back of my brain about why that practice seems to have stopped. After all, when I came to faith, or even came *back* to faith, Jesus didn’t send me an email telling me my name was now “Thomas” or anything.
That’s one of those Biblical questions that crops up from time to time, but I never seem to make any particular headway on it, so I let it lie.
Tonight, I had the pleasure of attending FOTP’s Man Church. Besides the ridiculously tasty smoked brisket, I heard a message on names. Specifically, the name we are all given when we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior – “son of God”. I’ve heard that before, as you likely have.
However, what struck me was the idea that when these men’s names were changed, the new name had a meaning. Now, their old names also had meanings, of course. But the point is that their new names were titles, labels, descriptors of what these men would go on to do, on behalf of God.
At least in American society, we don’t name people that way any more. Sure, names will be family names, or significant figures, but certainly the average boy in the US isn’t named “Great Father” (Abram) or “Jokester” (Jacob). Many are named Biblical names, but even then it is fairly rare, I believe, to pick the name based on the Biblical meaning, versus the Biblical figure the name represents.
Which brings me back to my realization, if Jesus were sitting next to me right now (which I hope I’d 1) realize and 2) not be busily writing this!), He wouldn’t change my name to “One Who Writes Occasionally” or “Fun Father” – no one would take me seriously. So that’s why the renaming practice has died out, at least in the US. It may very well still take place in other parts of the world, and I may simply be showing my ignorance – if so, my apologies!
So what, right? What really hit home for me tonight is that Jesus *has* given me new names, I just never thought of them that way. “Husband” then “Father”, many times “Friend”, at least once “Son”, certainly “son of God”, and now, as I am hesitantly embracing, “Writer”.
In short, I had never thought of the new names handed out in the Bible as job descriptions, but they most certainly were! As I reflect on my life, I see my new names too. Each one represents a turning point in life, not necessarily an entirely new direction, but more likely a refinement of my trajectory, towards where ever God has designed me to go.
In an interesting way, I have an easier time with the name of “Writer”. I have been struggling for a while with that title because writing comes easily to me. I’m sorry to anyone who reads my work and assumes it takes me hours and days of slaving over the keyboard – it doesn’t. I’ve written this in under an hour, even stopping in the middle to console an upset toddler – there’s that name again, “Father”, or as he calls me, “Daddy”.
I am a writer. God has given me this talent, I know not why. But rather than feel guilty for having it, which is what I have been doing, I understand now that it is a gifting from God, and thus if I feel guilty about it, it should be because I am squandering it out of fear.
I am a Writer.