What's In A Name?

My wife and I just had our first child (February 2008), an adorable little girl. We have been married for ten years and waited a long time for our little one to be born.

We have a number of other friends who have given birth in recent months, who are fellow Christians, and the names they gave their children were chosen based on biblical themes. One couple knew they wanted a New Testament name and went with Luke. Another couple, Korean, chose Song, meaning she will be a song unto the Lord. Another couple chose Adara, Hebrew for “God will be exalted.” With no biblical purpose or meaning in mind, we chose Lily Caroline.

Why Lily Caroline? It was only after we named her that we found out Jessica has a great-grandmother named Lillian and I have a great-grandmother with Caroline as a middle name. Both of Jessica’s parents are master gardeners and passed their love of plants and gardening on to Jessica, who has quite the green thumb herself. But that had little to do with the name “Lily.” I have always liked the song Sweet Caroline, but that wasn’t a determining factor. For us, only months after we met, we talked about baby names, and Lily has always been at the top of the list.

Lily was born at 7:07 p.m. My sister was in the waiting room, awaiting Lily’s arrival. She was so excited for us, and immediately upon our bringing out all 5 pounds and 14 ounces to her, my sister said, “So, what’s her name?” Jess and I looked at each other and said, “We don’t know yet.” It was only upon getting ready to leave the birth center that we decided upon naming our child Lily. We wanted to take more time, but knew that filing the paperwork after we left was a lot of work, so we looked at each other, smiled and nodded, and wrote Lily’s name on the birth record.

So, again, why Lily Caroline? I guess because we liked it. It sounded right. It fit us. It fit her.

The same is true with all of the multiple names we use for God. As we open up our Bible or go to a church service, we hear a lot of names that God goes by. Why? Because they sound right, they fit Him, and they fit us!

Lord, God, Father, Jesus, Christ, Messiah, Savior, Spirit, Holy Spirit, Holy Ghost, Redeemer, Counselor, etc. There are over a hundred names of and for God used in the Bible. Unlike Lily Caroline, however, there is profound depth and substance attached to each one.

God’s Names Convey His Nature and Character. God is known in three persons (the Trinity—Father, Son, and Spirit). We know Him as Lord, because of His “omni” attributes: omnipresent, omniscient, omnipotent. He is our Father and calls us His children, caring for us, and loving us unconditionally. We know God through the person of Jesus, who also appropriately goes by the names Savior and Redeemer. We know God as Spirit. As we are spiritual beings as well, God’s spirit empowers and dwells in those who have become part of God’s family. The Spirit is also known as (aka) Comforter. And we could go on and on. The bottom line here is that God’s names are more than just names—they convey and embody His character and nature.

God Longs For Us to Call Upon His Names. Imagine someone who looked forward to being a parent for a long time. She prepared in every way for her baby’s arrival, making plans for everything and acquiring all the necessary equipment. Then, when the baby arrived, he immediately walked out on her, never to communicate with her again. Absurd, isn’t it? Yet some people envision God in the very same way! God longs for us to return to Him, to know Him and to call out to Him! The Bible is full of statements like, “Come to me you who are weary and I will give you rest,” “All who call upon the name of the Lord will be saved,” and “You do not have because you do not ask. Who of you, if your son asked you for a piece of bread would give him a stone? Likewise your Father in heaven is waiting for you to come to him.” God’s greatest desire is that we return to Him and get to know Him.

God Knows Our Names and Desires to Write Them in the Book of Life. In the middle of the Bible, in a section called Psalms, there is a chapter that has been dear to people’s hearts for thousands of years. Chapter 139 of Psalms describes how God knit each of us together in our mother’s womb, how before a thought is even on our mind God knows we will think it, and how all the days ordained for us were written in God’s book before we were ever born. Wow! And in addition to that, God loved you enough to send His son as a sacrifice to cover over the sin that is in your life. In a world that we sometimes feel anonymous in, we oftentimes need to be reminded of these truths.

The Bible also teaches that God desires for none of us to die with the guilt and responsibility of our sin but for all of us to be saved. That’s why anyone who places their faith in Jesus as their Savior will have their name written in the Book of Life. And once your name is there, you belong to God forever—nothing can separate you from Him. Sure, you will sin again, but He will forgive you. You are more precious to God than you can possibly imagine.

In the last book of the Bible we learn that God has a special name for you, a new name that He wants to give you, one that you will receive when you place your faith in Him. It is a name that will forever be yours, something very special between you and your Maker.

What’s in a name? A lot. Names carry an incredible meaning, understanding, and connection.

Someday Lily will grow up and read what I have written here. I hope she does not walk away disheartened, with a sense of despair or disappointment, thinking simply that her name is her name because we thought it sounded cute. Instead I hope she sees how much God loves her and how relatable, available, and accessible He is to her. And some day, when God gives her the new and special name He has picked out just for her, I know we’ll rejoice together over it.

The origin and meaning of our names, as cute or intentional as they may be, are not nearly as important as our understanding of God’s names, His nature, and His character. This is why God uses so many names in the Bible, so we will be sure not to miss who He really is and what He is all about. Take a closer look, and you’ll see what I mean.

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Michael Williams can be reached at michaelwilliams001@gmail.com and at www.sovG.us