The above quote was penned in the famous Shakespearean play Romeo and Juliet. His point was that a name is irrelevant. In the case of his star-crossed lovers, their last names prevented their happiness in spending their lives together. Though a sweet quote, I would disagree. I believe a person’s name is extremely important. In Biblical times, people were literally named for circumstances surrounding their birth or conception (examples Isaac and Samuel). There were also people in the Bible whose name spoke to their personality (for example Nabal). And let’s not forget about Abraham whose name God change to reflect the promise. What you call someone has the potential to speak into who they can become one day.
One example from my life is my dog. Seems trivial but let me explain my point. My dog’s name is Shiloh. I settled on the name long before I adopted him from the local pound. Honestly, it felt like a cute name for a dog. Since my previous dogs’ names were Biblical, Sampson and David, I wanted to continue the tradition. Therefore, I looked up the name mentioned in scripture a time or two. It means “a gift” and “the peaceful one”. He is definitely both of those things.
Shiloh was indeed a gift from God. The full story can be found in one of my older posts; however, I’ll tell a portion of it here. Previously, I moved into a new home in the country and I wanted a dog for protection and companionship. In researching various breeds, I fell in love with golden retrievers. More specifically I liked the ones with red-golden locks. Since my job involved long hours, there was no time to train a puppy. This meant adopting an older dog fully housetrained. Unfortunately, golden retrievers are such great dogs that they are rarely put up for adoption. I searched high and low for weeks on end. Then one day I felt God leading me to check a specific adoption site. There was the exact dog that I had prayed for. To be sure, some of you are thinking why would God care about my desire for a dog? It’s simple. He cares about me.
Now, I wish the other portion of his name was true as well. When I first brought Shiloh home, he was nowhere close to being peaceful. He had been a stray and frequently escaped from his prior owner’s yard. I also wonder if there was some mistreatment, because he whined if I left him outside alone. He paced back and forth in the house. Each night, he whined and paced for hours until he fell asleep. This went on for months! It got so bad that I tried various tactics going as far to give treats when he’d sit quietly. Despite all this, I continually spoke his name, Shiloh. It took some time, but he’s made a complete turnaround. Whenever someone meets him on the street, they remark on his sweet and peaceful demeanor.
Names are indeed powerful. They have the potential to bring forth greatness from within. What names are being spoken over you? Maybe your parents were being trendy in naming you. Maybe others have nicknamed you based off a physical trait. Yet, who does God say that you are? He calls you chosen, royal, and special. He says that we have the mind of Christ. We are fearless because He gives us power. Most importantly, we are His children. We belong to Him! My challenge is that you search out the names God has spoken over you. Declare them over yourself. Watch how He’ll bring out each aspect in you!
Be encouraged! 😊
Written By: Christa Martina
Social Media: @healthyfitpa
Scripture References: Romans 4:17 “(as it is written, “I have made you a father of many nations”) in the presence of Him whom he believed—God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did…”
1 Peter 2:9 (NLT) “But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.”
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