I have been called many names throughout my life. As a kid, I grew up being called “Stupid Moron”, or “Stupid Idiot”. “Pharisee”, “Hypocrite”, “False Prophet”, along with ones I won’t mention here were given to me during my time working at a religious college, they always find a way to bring your faith into their insults.

Oddly enough, among the non-religious, I received names and titles like Faithful, Encourager, Christian. A recovering alcoholic once called me his Guardian Angel.

Now I attend a church that says stuff like, “you are anointed”, “you are a child of God” and “God is proud of you”. Looking back on things I wish I knew these people a lot sooner. They are so kind, their words don’t burden me with the weight of their own bitterness because they are actually filled with joy and peace.

I have found that what is in a name is the essence of what the name caller has within them. The worst names I’ve been called have been from the mouths of “faithful” people. These names are meant with a purpose (such a mix), to hurt, to destroy, to disable you because they, the name callers, want to matter. They strive for power and influence and the easiest way to do that is to insult. I’ve heard something like: one needs to say 10 positive things about someone to equal the impact of one negative thing.

It’s pretty amazing that no matter how strong we think we are, words actually do hurt us. What’s even more amazing to me is I’ve found that we are collectively either making or unmaking those around us with our words. With the names we call others we are chiseling, trimming, shaping who they are becoming.

Now it’s true, at least for me, that the people I let have a greater influence on me have a greater shaping power with their words and the ones with opinions I don’t value have little to no power to shape me. It is this fact that makes the ones with little to no power especially vicious. But the wise recognize that their words also have a power over them. The book of James, chapter 3 verse 4 says our words actually have the power to steer us in whatever direction we want to go. Follow that with Proverbs chapter 18 verse 21 and you can see the roadmap, “The tongue has the power of life and death,
and those who love it will eat its fruit.”

When we worship the LORD, as a friend of mine once said, “We are putting the right words in the right place.” We are as John the Baptist declared in the Gospel of Mark, chapter 1 verse 3, preparing “the way for the Lord” and making “straight paths for Him”. And when we do this, we travel with Him in His direction to His location.

So what’s truly in a name? It could very well be your destiny.

For there is a Name that is above every name, and by His Name, the dead are raised, the lame is healed, the oppressed are delivered, and the sinner is sanctified. By the Name of Jesus Christ, the power of heaven touches the earth.

No matter what name you have been called by a family member, a religious authority, a friend, or an enemy, if you are in Christ, God calls you His child, Galatians chapter 3 verse 26. And it is there that I wish to stay, grow, and be shaped.

-Brian Carter