You Get a
New Name
by Dr. Kluane Spake
"My
name is Judy, J. U. D. Y.!" I insisted to my kindergarten teacher on the first day of school. I snickered
behind my missing front teeth... while
some of the other kids were crying about being left at school, but I had a big
plan! And so "JUDY" is what they called me. Nobody ever questioned
it.
Judy
was my favorite name from my mostest special childhood book, "Judy and
Jiggers." That book went along everywhere with me -- it was about a cute
little girl who lost her little white dog.
Of course, my Maltese Terrier dog was "Jiggers" and I was
Judy. Anyway...
It
all went smoothly until months later when my mom came to pick me up after school.
She asked for her little four-year-old, and no one knew whom she was talking
about... because Mommy didn't know that I had changed my name! Everyone at
school accepted it. I became a different person with that different name.
So
then, I had to train my folks to call me Judy. And surprisingly, they thought
it was funny that a four year old would go to such subterfuge to change her
name. After all, I really didn't have a
name before that. It was always, "Honey," "Sweetie," or
"Sugar!" My mom thought my name was too long for a baby to use. After
awhile, after continued insistence, they went along with it. It wasn't until
going to college that I desired to use my real name. And, life and identity
changed again.
The
discovery of the meaning of my real name unwrapped identity and destiny. In the
early days, my dad went to Alaska to mine for gold. In the summertime, he would
mine and in the winter he delivered mail by dog team up into the Yukon. My dad
packed a stove on his sled and went out for weeks at a time through the
forsaken wilderness of ice and snow. The
end of his route was Kluane Lake. This lake and mountain range (the largest
lake and highest mountains in the Yukon) was his favorite place in the whole
world! My real name (Kluane - Clue-ah'-nee) means "deep blue water"
in Athabaskan Indian. Or, "Fisher (of) men in deep blue water.
Shaping Your Identity
Discovering
why he gave me that particular name changed the aspect of my life and my goals. I've always been extremely thankful that my
dad didn't like Klukwan lake as well!
Your
name has great meaning and helps to shape your identity. Many studies show that
your first name determines much about your interactions with society.
Far
more impacting than our earthly name, is the fact that the Lord gives us His
covenant name. We must not take it lightly! We have a NEW name! We become
Christians or "little Christs." Of course, the word Christian is
derived from the word Christ that means the "Anointed One." It's our
Christ-like name that changes our concept of who we are - little anointed ones
- like Him! Declaring His name over ourselves reshapes our IDENTITY and reveals
our legacy.
Right
now ask the Lord to give you the revelation of what being a Christian really
means. Adam was given the ability to
name all the animals (Gen. 2:19). This action shows authority and creative
dominion.
In
the Fall, the first couple lost many things - one of them was that they lost
their ability to name and define creation.
In the Old Testament, God's NAME was so precious and holy that it was
not ever spoken.
In
the New Testament, we know that if we believe in His NAME, something wonderful
happens. (John 1:12-13)! "Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in
his name, he gave the right to become CHILDREN OF GOD- ......BORN OF GOD."
NIV
God
calls us by NAME - it is the name of Christ that is called.
Our
new God given name stands above all names. Incredibly, He gives to those who
bear His name, the right to use it everyday. We can boldly approach the Father
because we bear His Name. This is an
EXCHANGE of identity. This miraculous interchange presupposes that we've given
up our old autonomous life. In finality, we discover what our new name delivers
every promise. Because of Jesus, we become heirs of all things along with Him.
Christ-ian. Our partner is the Person who opens the heavens and gives us
everything that pertains to life and Godliness.
There's
unlimited power in that most precious name. Jesus said that whatever we ask the
Father in His name, He'll give it to us (Jn. 14-26). In honor of this exchange,
we promise to represent Him here on this earth. His name opens the treasuries
of heaven for this dying world.
Teach
us Lord, to understand and to apprehend this privilege of bearing Your awesome
name.
Dr Kluane Spake