What's in a Name? (4/3/2011)

We're continuing to explore answers to the question, "What's the Point of God?" As we do so, we're seeing that God leads us back to the way He created us in the beginning; He leads us back to wholeness.

Discussion
In your world, how has this wholeness been playing out?

So, What's in a Name?

This week, we're going to take a look at how our identity affects our wholeness and how sorting out our identity, discovering it, and excavating what's true or false about who we believe ourselves to be is essential on this journey towards wholeness.

Every one of us has a name, an identity.

• We're living under it.
• It defines us
• It determines the way we live and the choices we make

Identity for Adam and Eve

When God created Adam and Eve, He gave them specific names under which to live, names that would enrich their lives, inform their choices, and help them relate to Him and to each other. Some of those names are:

• Image of God
• Very Good
• Loved

Then, the Serpent came along and began to plant seeds of doubt in their understanding of their identities.
"God didn't say that."
"Or, if He said it, He didn't mean it."
"This isn't as good as it gets."
"You won't die."
"Life will be better."
Etc.

Satan began to undermine Adam and Eve's God-given identity to the point where they acted out of the different names they assumed because Satan taught them to distrust God.

They began to act out of their Self-Discovered Names:

• Afraid
• Ashamed
• UnLoveable

Instead of passing on their God-given names to future generations, they passed on their self-discovered ones laden with guilt and shame and hurt.

We perpetuate the lack of true identity by passing on our own self-discovered names to others. We were created with specific names, but self-discovering false names was part of our fall. Part of our need for redemption is to be given the chance to be restored to the names God has for us.

Living under a false identity creates a gap or separation between me and God, as well as me and others. Living under these names and experiencing this separation only brings:

• Lonliness
• Insecurity
• and Lack of Value

Is it the name that creates the behavior? Or does the behavior create the name? At some point, it's hard to tell and we get stuck back in this cycle trying to fix the behavior without dealing with the deeper issue of identity.

Adam and Eve showed us the move from true identity to false identity. But what does the reverse look like? What does restoration look like? Let's take a look at Gideon for a good example.

Gideon

So, here's Gideon, an Israelite driven to hiding because of the oppressive and overwhelming Midianites. And who comes to visit?

Judges 6:11-16

The angel of the LORD came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to keep it from the Midianites. When the angel of the LORD appeared to Gideon, he said, “The LORD is with you, mighty warrior.”

“Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our ancestors told us about when they said, ‘Did not the LORD bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the LORD has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.”

The LORD turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?”

“Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.”

The LORD answered, “I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites, leaving none alive.”

Notice, the Lord's name for Gideon is "Mighty Warrior." However, in Gideon's response, he points out that he's the weakest of the weak. He's obviously been living under and believing in a different identity for himself.

God still chooses to use Gideon, however, and works with him, walking him through his disbelief and insecurity until Gideon is able to act from his God-given name, "Mighty Warrior."

Judges 7:9-18

During that night the LORD said to Gideon, “Get up, go down against the camp, because I am going to give it into your hands. If you are afraid to attack, go down to the camp with your servant Purah and listen to what they are saying. Afterward, you will be encouraged to attack the camp.” So he and Purah his servant went down to the outposts of the camp. The Midianites, the Amalekites and all the other eastern peoples had settled in the valley, thick as locusts. Their camels could no more be counted than the sand on the seashore.

Gideon arrived just as a man was telling a friend his dream. “I had a dream,” he was saying. “A round loaf of barley bread came tumbling into the Midianite camp. It struck the tent with such force that the tent overturned and collapsed.”

His friend responded, “This can be nothing other than the sword of Gideon son of Joash, the Israelite. God has given the Midianites and the whole camp into his hands.”

When Gideon heard the dream and its interpretation, he bowed down and worshiped. He returned to the camp of Israel and called out, “Get up! The LORD has given the Midianite camp into your hands.” Dividing the three hundred men into three companies, he placed trumpets and empty jars in the hands of all of them, with torches inside.

“Watch me,” he told them. “Follow my lead. When I get to the edge of the camp, do exactly as I do. When I and all who are with me blow our trumpets, then from all around the camp blow yours and shout, ‘For the LORD and for Gideon.’”

What About Us?

Karl shared with us his own experience discovering his God-given name. Because it's such a personal story, I'm not going to try to reproduce it here. But if you missed it Sunday, please take the chance to ask him about it.

It's probably pretty easy for most of us to identify our self-discovered names, the names we're living under and acting out of... the fears and insecurities that motivate and inform our choices.

But, what name has God given you? If He were to walk up to you today, how would He address you? It certainly wouldn't be, "Hello Lonely" or "Hello Failure."

When we can start identifying the name(s) God has for us and find out who He created us to be, we can really start moving on this journey to wholeness.

When we can start identifying our self-discovered names and trace them back to the insecurities, circumstances, or events where we claimed those names and started living under them, we'll also really get moving on this journey to wholeness.

Spend some time this week processing your God-given and self-discovered names and how living under either has affected you and your relationships.

When God moves in your life, share your experiences with others. It would be detrimental to our community at this point in our shared experience of this journey toward wholeness for us to not share what God is teaching us during the process.

Try listening to God this week to see if He reveals his name for you (even if it is a little "hokey"). But remember, restoration is a process....