Monday, June 13, 2011

Hello my name is.......



We have all seen them.   You know the ones that say "Hello, my name is........" then you are to write your name in the blank space.  The blank space?  Does my heart feel like a blank space?  Who is this person whose name I am writing in the blank space?  What name do I identify myself with?  Whose name is written on my heart.  Is Jesus' name there?  The Good Shepherd has given each of us a name, He knows His sheep by name, and they know His voice.  Is there a name that perhaps I have believed about myself that is a lie like I am not good enough, I am not pretty enough, too fat, too old, shy, angry, or a host of others?  Can I write the name He has given me in the blank space?
Recently,  I came to a greater understanding of this ongoing discovery of who Christ is in my life, who I am in Christ and who's name is written there.  Where Jesus is, there is no room for doubt, fear, anger, jealousy, pride, or anything other than the fruit of the Holy Spirit.  Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self-Control.  I can just tell you there has been some bad fruit I have believed.  The only way I could stop seeing and believing the lie was to start seeing and believing how God sees me.  Then and only then am I able to start changing from the inside out.  I am who He created me to be even with some missing gaps that I am learning to resolve, learning to deal with as they come up and learning to discern whether it is truth or lie.  And most of all learning to fill in with Him.
When you are in the wild and out in nature birds have a certain call.   It is how they identify each other and communicate with one another.  We too have a call on our life from God to listen as He has identified us as His own and communicate with Him so that He can help us.  If I believe the lie what am I believing my life to be called to?  He is the solid ground, the Holy ground on which I am able to stand.  All other ground, all other names, all other lies are sinking sand.  He gives me the confidence I need to stand and say, "Hello my name is Barbara, child of God, daughter to the King, relative to the Creator of the universe, heir according to His promise, seed of Abraham, bought with a price, washed by His blood, held by His hand, my name written in the book of life and raised into glory through His victory.  When I believe this is who He sees me as, knowing He is the Name above all Names and is living in my heart then I can believe that about myself.  Not in a self righteous way but in a rest assured way that when asked I will not be ashamed of the Name of Jesus.
I thought it would be an interesting exercise to see when I went into a restuarant and they ask for the name of my party to give them Christ or Jesus as my name. Then when it was time for my name to be called, "Jesus your table it ready" and see how it is received.  You know there is actual power in His Name?  The demons flee in the presence of His Name.  It used to make me uncomfortable to be around people who would talk about Jesus, say His name all the time and I couldn't figure out why.  As time went on and I drew closer to Him, it did not bother me so much in fact it was healing to hear His name, it brought comfort and was like hearing the name of an old friend.  But why did I squirm......it wasn't me squirming, but the strongholds within me, the sin foothold in my life that couldn't stand to be in the presence of His name.  The more I am able to peel layer upon layer of the old name tags, when they lose their stickiness and hold on my life the more His Name is revealed.  It is not over and I am still in process.  It's a big onion.  Sometimes that means lots of tears that reap/usher in Joy.
When I got overwhelmed with my kids and I did not know what to do and wanted to yell, I would go in the closet of my room with a pillow and just scream His Name.  Somehow it helped to pass whatever was trying to rob me and my children of joy.  When I did not know what to pray I would just say His Name over and over.  I felt like I was so unprepared in early motherhood, and I felt out of control.  Kids, when they are born,  don't come with little instruction tags on their toes, so had to wing it much of the time.  I had great kids and an incredible husband, so that helped.....A LOT!  They helped me get through it and so did Jesus.
When I am faced with something new, overwhelming or a challenge,  I can NOT rely or call upon my own name, but the Name of Jesus.  The more I put this into practice the more He reveals to me His Name and what it means to be tagged with it.
So I challenge you, write His name upon your heart, call upon the name of Jesus and get tagged cause......tag He's it.

4 comments:

  1. For me, the best part of the Saturday writers event is finding you! I SEE why you raved about your blog designer. I LOVE this look. And, dear new friend, I still have times when I wait until everyone is asleep and I get into a hot shower and just pray "Jesus, Lord, Abba." We do serve an awesome God. May He bless all your words. Liz

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  2. Beautiful post and I completely relate to what you are writing about!

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  3. Hey, Barb.... I read a great post recently that speaks specifically to your current walk through the fire.... I highly recommend it... "Hello - My Name is...." Please re-read your own words. God truly was "there" before you were and He will not let you go at all. Your words in this post gave me great courage to take a breath and RE-remember the things I know.... that Jesus' name is all I need.
    Love you dearly (already :-)) and am praying. Love, Liz

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