A Special Bond

Captured, removed from their homes and brought to Babylon, Daniel and his three buddies were in for some good old fashioned cultural immersion. The King knew if he trained the finest youth in the ways of Babylon and treated them with purpose, that he had a better than average chance of creating some loyalty. And if other captives saw them acting Babylonian, they would follow. Step one, new names. He stripped of their Judean names and gave them Babylonian names. He wanted to claim them as his own.

As I read that passage I immediately thought of a few names of my own. Bug, Cupcake, Wallstreet, E Boone, Gumby, Goo, Big Ticket, Hondo, DCP, Stolli, King David, Casa Queso and many others. These are names I've donned on those closest to me. People I desire to be in my life so genuinely that I gave them a new name, known between us as a sort of insider code. A way to say, we have a bond the outside world can't touch. We are on the same team.

"To everyone who is victorious, I will give some of the manna that has been hidden away in heaven." (Revelation 2: 17) 

God has used this technique since the beginning. Abram to Abraham, Sarai to Sarah, Jacob to Israel, Simon to Peter. Each time signifying a new identity, a deeper relationship with God, and a new calling. In the verse from Revelation above, he promises that again. A white stone signifying innocence and a new name solidifying a spot on the team. An intimate relationship between just them and God.

Names have power. They create identity. As youths, we were cautioned about "name calling" because unfortunately, they stick. We start slinging names with negative connotations towards others and over time, they believe it and it shapes their identity.

We have to be super careful about that with ourselves too. We call ourselves failures, ugly, unworthy, incapable, unloved and hurt. We do that enough, we take on that identity. It's critical in life to listen to the names God calls us. Son, daughter, beautiful, a temple, His Kingdom, worthy, warrior, loved, friend, strong, worth dying for. That's the identity to clothe ourselves in.

Think about all the people in your lives, you've given nicknames to and how you cherish them. Have fun with it, laugh at the memories that are behind the name's origin. Let that connection grow. When you are tempted to call yourself a name because of what you are going through, where you’ve dropped the ball or what’s not happening in your life that you think should be, replace it with one that God gave you. Connect deeper with the one who created you perfect in His image, knows you by name and calls you His friend. The one who knows more about your future than you know about your past. There's a special bond there too. That’s the identity that will carry you into the plans that God has for you. A future of goodness, love and hope.