It’s been almost 7 years since my wife gave birth to our last son. God has blessed us richly with three wonderful boys. One of the most memorable moments was naming our children. During each pregnancy, we knew were were having boys and I remember tossing and turning on the importance of naming our children.
The reason I became so engrossed with this is because I knew their names would stay with them forever. I took this responsibility seriously. I know firsthand the importance a name could potentially make in a persons life. From how they’re perceived to how they carry themselves.
Initially my wife leaned towards names that “sounded” good, likable and noble. Names that sounded elegant and to her credit, manly. I believed they should be more than that. I believed names should stand for something, signify something and be names my boys should aspire to. I prayed, studied and meditated of hundreds of names and their meanings. Eventually, my wife and I agreed and we named each of our boys with powerful, God given names appropriate for who they are and who I knew they were called to be.
An Honor
At the time I took this responsibility seriously. I didn’t go with any trends, weird names, “cool sounding”, abstract names. I saw this as a God-give responsibility and a reflection of their being dedicated to God. Now almost 12 years later I know why I acted this way. We read in Genesis 2:19 that God gave this honor and responsibility to man. He respected whatever names Adam gave the beasts and birds of the sky because Adam was walking with God. He knew Adam would honor Him with his actions and full confidence and respect for him. Awesome!
Encouragement:
When we walk with God he gives us the privilege of taking ownership of what he brings us. He will bless it only if we claim things for His glory and not of ourselves.
Challenge
What have you been naming? Is it for your glory or His? How successful have you been with this?
