The Right of Naming
Annalisa Smith, Guest Writer
Today’s Treasure
Naming a child. What a wonderful task! And what a tricky one sometimes. The name we choose will likely be part of our child’s identity for their whole life. It’s the sound they will answer to, the word that will ring most often in their ears. Their name spoken in our voice reassures them in the wee hours of the night that we are nearby. In most cultures, our children share our last name—a name with history, a name that identifies them with us. A child’s name will be written on everything from diaper bags to high school diplomas. A child’s name shows whom they belong to. It shows what and who belongs to them.
Our names are often the first thing we share with a new friend. We feel appreciated when people remember our name. But we are also constantly named and categorized by ourselves and others. Maybe you just earned your PhD, and others call you “Doctor.” Maybe you’ve struggled to find a new job lately, and you’re suddenly writing “unemployed” on forms. Maybe you have been a stay-at-home mom, your youngest child has just flown the nest, and your days have begun to evade easy definitions. Maybe others describe you as “artsy,” “granola,” “Type-A,” “ambitious,” “quiet,” “handy,” or “put together.”
These descriptions can be helpful sometimes and divisive at other times, but none tell what is most true about us. Our friends and our society do not have the right of naming. Parents typically have the right to bestow a name on their child as they fill out their birth certificate or adoption paperwork. And God alone, the One who made us, has the right to define our identity even deeper than our name.
Isaiah was one of God’s messengers appointed to give instruction, warning, and encouragement to God’s people in times past. When they were in the midst of very difficult circumstances brought on by their own disobedience, God reassured them of their belonging and identity:
But now thus says the LORD, He who created you, O Jacob, He who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are Mine.” Isaiah 43:1
We are made by God and formed by Him in the delicate and patient way a potter forms a vessel. This verse also says God’s people are redeemed by Him. God rescues us and takes our needs and sins upon Himself. God’s people are called by name, indicating their belonging to God and their relationship with Him.
Later in this passage, God reaffirms how He made His people and formed them from the womb and will therefore help them (Isa. 44:2). God formed you from infancy, and He continues to take the same care forming you today as one who belongs to Him and has His stamp of craftsmanship. My favorite mug bears such a stamp – the initials of the potter. It is one of a kind, marked by the one who made and formed it. We bear the Lord’s name in much the same way:
This one will say, ‘I am the LORD's,’ another will call on the name of Jacob, and another will write on his hand, ‘The LORD's,’ and name himself by the name of Israel.
Isaiah 44:5
Up until this verse, God had done the naming. Now, notice who is doing the naming—it is God’s people. They are acknowledging their belonging to the Lord; they are owning their identity.
When I was newly married and had taken my husband’s last name, I recall pausing every time I was asked to provide a signature. I had to remind myself to write “Smith” rather than the maiden name I was so accustomed to. I was owning my identity. And it took reminding myself.
When our children get overwhelmed or frightened, we often speak gently and calmly to them – they need reminders of our love. I hope these verses remind you how God speaks belonging, comfort, and reassurance to us in much the same way. I pray we would hear His voice in our ears and our name on His lips in times when other voices seem loud, scary, or confusing. I pray we’ll listen for His reassurance when the voice in our head sounds critical or overwhelmed. He is with us, speaking words of love and comfort. Let’s keep listening for His tender words.
LIFE-GIVING ENCOURAGEMENT
This week, notice the “noises” in your life. Which of them sounds the most like God’s words in Isaiah, which remind you that you are created, formed, redeemed, and called by name? What opportunities do you have to hear from God? In what ways can what He says reassure you of your belonging in the midst of all the “noise” each day brings?
PRAYER
Dear Father, our ears buzz with names others give to us and our own self-assessments. Please reassure us of Your love as You promise to do. Allow us to remember that we are Yours.
