In modern-day culture, nicknames are extremely popular; from the music & film industry even to the general public, most people want to be called by something different than what’s their actual name. I’m here to tell you that that’s a huge problem for a reason you made not expect. Rest assured though, I got the Solution for you. In this 2-part teaching, I’m going to show to you Biblically that your whole life can be blessed or cursed based off of what you are called; your name is important.
We all know somebody that goes by a nickname. Cookie, DoughBoy, BamBam, Keke, Stunna, you name it. We also know people that have really common names that everybody knows. But as harmless as these seem, there is a very spiritual influence that your name plays on the outcome of your life that if you don’t know about, it could be extremely detrimental to you & your generations that follow.
The Bible shows us a plethora of different instances where someone’s name affects the destiny of their life. For example in 2 Samuel 25:25, Abigail, the husband of the fool Nabal knew fully well that his name meant exactly he was; a fool. The Scripture says in that verse that as Nabal’s name was, so was he. It doesn’t just go for him, it goes for everybody. Or in Ruth 1:19-20, Ruth’s “mother-in-law” Naomi(which means Pleasant) changed her name on her own to Mara, which literally means bitter. She changed her entire identity based off of a temporary circumstance. That’s a whole nother message by itself. But how did Naomi change her identity? She didn’t go to a cosmetic surgeon, buy a new wardrobe, or get a new number. She did it by changing her name.
At this point you might be wondering, why is your name so important? Well I’m glad you asked. It’s because the Bible says in Proverbs 18:21 that “death & life are in the power of the tongue.” What you call yourself & what you allow others to call you is literally a blessing or a curse. At this point you might also be wondering what your name means. It’s a good question to ask. I would recommend researching it but more than anything, I would highly suggest that you seek God about it. He’s faithful to give you the answer.
What I’m about to say is probably going to offend a lot of people, but that’s okay. I believe it’ll bring clarity & freedom to those who choose to receive it. In my personal opinion, a lot of people in today’s society don’t have the name that God wanted them to have. Understanding that what you’re called is either a blessing or a curse, you can start to see why a lot of people have been confused about their purpose in life & so forth. It’s because they’re living under a curse because of their name.
Let me pivot here. If you believe that you have a bad/incorrect name, I would once again strongly advise to seek the Lord on what He would have you to do(Proverbs 3:5-6). He may very well have you legally change it to whatever He wants. He did in the Bible(Genesis 32:26-28), I have no reason not to believe that He won’t do it now. Then on the other hand, the Lord might prompt you to act as Jabez did in 1 Chronicles 4:9-10. Jabez knew fully well that if he lived out the meaning of his name that he would cause a lot of damage(Jabez literally means He Will Cause Pain). Jabez was an honorable man however & asked the Lord to bless him so he wouldn’t fulfill the evil destiny of his name; in other words, he asked God to break the curse & God did.
Whatever your case may be, I pray that the Lord would open your eyes to see what He’s showing you about your name , or for some you who are parents what you decided to name your kids. Jesus is reshaping identities in this hour that we’re in in so many ways, & giving His disciples a new name is one of them. So the next time somebody asks you, “What is your name?” you’ll have a testimony for an answer.
I pray that this teaching was a blessing to you. To God be the glory!