The Power Of A Name

Luke 10:16 – He who listens to you listens to me; he who rejects you rejects me; but he who rejects me rejects him who sent me. (NIV)

Our given name is our own and is sometimes unique, but our surname or family name is one we share with others. Sometimes the name is so well known it is shared with many different families having no connection with each other.

We don't think much about these shared names until someone with that name rises to fame, and we try to ride on the "glory train", or someone disgraces the name, and we all suffer the shame.

Recently in the local paper, there was a front-page article and a picture of a person sharing the name Bozeman. She had embezzled $90,000.

Needless to say, I suffered for the next few days. Wherever I went, I faced the question, "Was that one of your relatives?" That week, it seemed that with every business transaction I performed, I had to prove my identity.

No, she was not a member of my family — just someone who shared the same name — but all who shared, suffered from her action.

We, who are called Christians, all share the same name. How do our lives reflect on the other members of our family? If we glorify the name of Jesus, others want to ride the "glory train", but like my experience with the embezzler, if the name is tarnished, it brings shame and pain to all others claiming it.

As a member of the church, which is Christ's body in the world, we are called upon to be His disciples, to represent Him in every way. We bear His name. How are we going to reflect His name?

Prayer: Lord, help us, who bear Your name, to reflect it in a light that is beneficial to You. Teach us to live and to pray in Your name. Amen.

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