There's something about that name — discovering your true identity and purpose

The names we carry — both the ones given to us and the ones we've picked up along the way — have more power over us than we realize. So does the name we carry for God.

For most of us, a name is just a label — a way to tell people apart on a class roster or a work email. But what if names are doing something far more significant than we've given them credit for? What if the names we carry have been quietly shaping our identity, limiting our potential, or pointing us toward our destiny all along?

Names in Scripture are never random

Jacob's name meant deceiver — and for much of his life, he lived up to it. Cunning, calculating, always working an angle. But after a night of wrestling with God, his name was changed to Israel: one who wrestles with God. The encounter didn't just change his circumstances. It rewrote his identity.

Then there's Abram — exalted father — whose wife was barren and who had no children. The name must have felt like a cruel irony. But when God made a covenant with him, He changed it to Abraham: father of many nations. The new name declared a destiny that hadn't happened yet. It arrived before the reality did.

In Scripture, names aren't titles. They're prophetic declarations of purpose.

What names are you carrying?

Every person carries names — some given by loving parents, others spoken by friends, and still others thrown by critics or enemies. Some lift. Some limit.

NAMES THAT SHAPE US

LeaderNot enoughCapableTroublemakerChosenLazyWorthyForgotten

The question worth sitting with: what names are you carrying today? Do they reflect what God says about you — or have you been living inside the world's assessment of your worth?

What the third commandment actually means

Most of us learned that "you shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain" was primarily about avoiding certain words. That's part of it. But the Hebrew runs deeper.

The word translated take in that passage means to take up and carry — the same word used to describe how the Levites carried the Ark of the Covenant. And vainmeans emptiness, worthlessness — to devalue something sacred.

A fuller reading: You shall not carry the name of the Lord your God poorly.

This isn't about our vocabulary. It's about how we represent God with our entire lives.

When we claim to belong to God but act in ways that misrepresent His character, we carry His name in vain. We devalue what is precious.

The jersey illustration

Imagine it's game day. You pull on the team jersey and your coach gathers everyone together. "When you wear this in the hallways, in the community, out in public — you're representing this team. So hold doors open. Be an example. Be the best version of yourself, because what you do reflects all of us."

The jersey isn't just clothing. It's a representation that carries the reputation of everyone connected to that team.

As followers of Christ, we wear His name. We are Christians — literally, little Christs. When people encounter us, they're forming impressions of Him. That's not a burden; it's the highest privilege imaginable.

God's name isn't just pronounced — it has presence

Something remarkable runs through Scripture: the name of God is given personhood. It doesn't just get spoken — it travels, protects, dwells.

The Psalms say His name is to be praised. Proverbs calls it a strong tower where the righteous run for safety. Isaiah describes it coming from afar like a burning fire. And in 1 Kings, when Solomon dedicates the temple, God promises: "My name shall dwell there."

In the Old Covenant, His name dwelt in the temple. In the New Covenant, His Spirit — His very presence — dwells in us. We have become the temple. We are carriers of the name.

Your purpose is bigger than your profession

25%

of US adults report having a clear sense of purpose

~60%

of young adults say their lives feel like they lack meaning

The void those numbers describe is real — and it's contributing to the anxiety and depression we see rising on every side. But here's what we desperately need to hear: your purpose has far less to do with what you do for a living than with why God placed you here.

When you woke up this morning, you didn't wake up primarily as a teacher, a manager, a student, or a parent. You woke up as a carrier of the name of Jesus Christ. That is your purpose. Your career, your education, your relationships — those are the vehicles. The calling underneath all of it is the same.

Colossians 3:17

"And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."

What it looks like to carry His name well

CARRYING HIS NAME INTO EVERY AREA OF LIFE

💬In your words. Speak truth. Be gracious. Encourage people. Words have the power to build up or quietly dismantle — choose accordingly.

💼In your work. Do it as an act of worship, not just for a paycheck. Give your best as an offering rather than a transaction.

🤝In your relationships. Forgive radically. Love generously. Let the way you treat people — friends, coworkers, strangers — represent the Jesus you claim.

🌑In your struggles. Don't let pain silence your purpose. Suffering surrendered to God can become a conduit for His glory in ways comfortable seasons rarely can.

The name above every name

Whatever names you've been carrying — the ones that lift you and the ones that have tried to define you by your worst moments — there is a name above every other name. Jesus, the Christ, the Son of the living God.

His name heals. It redeems. It rewrites. It doesn't just label you — it lives inside you. And when it's invoked, something happens in the atmosphere around you.

Every knee will bow before that name. Every tongue will confess that He is Lord.

The question isn't whether you have a purpose. You do — written into your existence before you were born. The question is whether you're showing up for it. Are you carrying His name well today? When people encounter you, do they encounter something of Him?

This isn't about perfection. It's about intentionality — waking up each day and asking God to fill you with His presence, and then carrying that presence into every room you enter, every conversation you have, every task you put your hands to.

There is something about that name. And that something is meant to be seen in you.