Name
I remember as a kid not really liking my name. I wanted to be a Mike, Dave, Bob or something easy – instead I was Dwayne. Then there was my last name – I was Hicks from the sticks! I’ve since recovered from all that teasing and as I’ve gotten older, I see that other people can have unique names as well.
I looked up my name and it’s meaning and it gave me a chuckle. It’s like reading a horoscope or something that predicts who I am based on my name. I don’t think I ever gave much thought to what my name means before. I even checked the meaning of my name on Wikipedia.
I was trying to think back to when my children were born and we named them. We didn’t have the Internet to look up what someone thought the name meant. I remember thinking how precious the little ones were. I remember the awesome responsibility that I felt as a Dad, but I don’t remember all the thought processes behind the names given to my kids.
This morning I started reading through 1 Chronicles. It is pretty tough reading in chapter one because it’s all genealogy. It was kind of cool seeing where the names of some of these great men in history fit in the context of their family. The genealogy started back with Adam. I came across a couple of names where the explanation was given. It was a bit funny, but did get me thinking about the rest of the names and even my name. Check this out…
19 Two sons were born to Eber:
One was named Peleg, because in his time the earth was divided; his brother was named Joktan. (1 Chronicles 1:19 NIV)
I’m pretty sure that people who know me don’t care much about what the derivative of my name is. Most people care if I’m honest, trustworthy and kind. I’ve met people with the weirdest names and wondered what their parents were thinking when they named their kid.
I sure hope when people hear my name that they will seek to get to know me – who I am and what I value. I was reminded of the value of a good name. Check this out…
A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold. (Proverbs 22:1 NIV)
I want people I meet to know the man behind the name. I want to be known for kindness, understanding, patience and love. I want people to know that I wear the name of Christian and it has deep meaning to me. I would rather be known as a follower of Jesus Christ than a good husband, Dad, REALTOR or a good friend. If I allow Christ to live through me, it will show up in every facet of who I am.
Pressing On!
Dwayne