What’s In A Name?

In the day and age we live we have many ways to discover our ancestry. Many are curious of the genealogy and so they do research to find out where they came from. People will spend a lot of money to sign up for these types of database computer searches. While others simply take the DNA test to discover their ancestry.

It’s a curious thing that no matter who we are we all long to be connected to some kind of history as if it will define our own existence making our lives more meaningful. I too am one of those curious people who love to study the history and make up of not only my Dutch and English family heritage but also my wife’s Native American heritage. Perhaps it’s a quest to discover more about ourselves that it is the history of where we came from?

Go into any souvenir shop and you can find your name and it’s meaning on all kinds of merchandise from coffee cups to engraved wall signage. With the way in which we creatively spell our own names it becomes more more difficult. Nevertheless we make every effort search for the meaning of our own name.

In school I was asked whether my name, Rick was short for Richard. I often thought to myself that it would be nice to have such a formal name. One day in my own personal quest to discover the meaning of my name I asked my parents how and who I was named after. To my surprise they told me in a rather cryptic way; as someone that they knew from long ago. Upon further Investigation I discovered that there was a man in the neighborhood who went by the name Rick. He was the community drunk who is seldom sober.

Attempting to find a more substantial meaning to my name sake I started investigating the reason why my middle name is Edward. As a child the cigar brand that was popular that many in my extended family would smoke was the king Edward brand of cigars. You may not remember them but for the longest time I was certain that that is where my name came from. It made sense seeing that my first name derived from a rather negative meaning. To my relief, as I recall growing up I eventually learned that I was named after my grandfather whom I looked up to and wanted to emulate.

What is in our names? What is the meaning of our names? Too often I think we look for definitions that later define our existence or the meaning of our lives. Not often enough to we look to the identity that we have in Christ and settle for something that is less than our true identity. We might even identify ourselves according to our habits or are interests. We may identify ourselves with a particular group of people. In high school I often wanted to be a member of one of the more popular groups. Somehow I thought that if I was in that popular group I would have a better identity.

Ultimately I learned that the name that I go by is not necessarily the only thing that identifies me. As I grew in my relationship with Christ I came to understand that the identity I could have was in my Christian heritage. I came to identify myself in the name of Jesus Christ and therefore emulating His meaning and His purpose in my life. I discovered that it wasn’t fulfilling just to use earthly expressions or follow certain groups to find out who I was and who I am. Rather, it’s more important that I identify with an everlasting God who created me. I discovered that it wasn’t fulfilling just to use earthly expressions or follow certain groups to find out who I am.

As we become new in Christ our identity is clearly aligned with His will and plan for our future. My name has significance because, after all it is MY name. However, God has given us His name and we are His heir to His Kingdom which is far more significant and eternal.

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