By Denae Jones

If you are a person with an unusual first name like myself, you have likely been given a nickname or two over the years. Nicknames are easier than the inevitable mispronunciation. I’ve had many. My Mom calls me Dee Dee. My Grandpa called me Nae Nae. My cousin called me Denisinae. An old neighbor and friend called me Navybean, and I have no idea where that one came from. My sisters called me-well, I’ll let that one go. I wasn’t always nice to them, so their names for me weren’t always nice either. But to be fair, I probably deserved it.
Usually, nicknames are used as a term of endearment. The person to whom we have bestowed that name knows they are unique to us. Being named is a way of showing respect. We name our pets. Some of us even name our cars. We (usually) take the name of our spouse when we get married. Some religious ceremonies give a special name as a rite of passage. Those are all great, but what about the names we are given that do not show respect? What about the names that are slung at us to tear us down or belittle us?
Some of us have been called names for so long, and torn down so many times that we start to believe the lies. Maybe we have been called a coward, or told we are stupid, or rude, or not good enough. Not smart enough. Not talented enough. We don’t bring enough to our marriage, or our family, or our job. Those are the names that tend to stick in our minds. Those are the voices we hear when we are getting down on ourselves. But those are the very same names God despises. He doesn’t like when someone talks about his child like that. Just like we would not stand for someone putting down our own children, He won’t stand for someone putting down His children.
Here’s the thing. God is not so concerned with what we have been called in the past. He is more concerned with what He has called us to be in the future. Did you hear that? Who you will be in the future is much more important than who you have been in your past.
Lisa Bevere uses a scene out of the Terminator movie to illustrate this point. It’s when the Terminator came from the future and was going through the phone book and killing all of the women named Sarah Conner. Another man came from the future to help save the Sarah Conner he was after. She said there must be some mix-up! He must have the wrong person, because she is just a waitress and hasn’t done anything special with her life. His response? Maybe she hasn’t done anything great yet, but in the future, she will. See, they weren’t fighting over the person she was now, or the person she had been in the past. They were fighting over the person she was going to be.
As the saying goes, every saint has a past, and every sinner has a future. With that in mind, as we approach the end of another year, let’s leave behind us the things that weigh us down. The names. The labels. The feelings of insecurity or inadequacy. Past mistakes. Bad decisions. If it helps, write them all down. Then burn them.
Let’s declare a name for ourselves according to what we have the potential to be. Restored. Appreciated. Forgiven. Happy. Accepted. Renewed. Adored. Supported. Admired. Loved. Blessed. Enough.
Better yet, let’s open our minds and hearts to the plans God has for our future, because they are bigger and brighter than anything we can dream up for ourselves. Let’s accept a little grace. Some given to us from God, some given to others, and some that we give to ourselves.
Have a blessed week, friends!