Names

Has anyone tried to give you a new or different name?

There was an incident awhile back now with my local bank. My name was incorrect on my bank card, so I mentioned it to one of the tellers. Well, this particular person did not seem to care about it. On other occasions, I proceeded to share it with other staff or tellers at the bank. I spoke to an assistant manager who re-ordered the card for me. However, after I received it in the mail, it was still incorrect. I spoke to a teller who re-ordered the card for me and cancelled my existing card leaving me without access to money through the ATM for over a week. Lastly, I spoke to the same teller a second time about receiving my card in the mail with the incorrect name on the card again.

After re-ordering my bank card for me, at least on these three separate occasions, and still not getting it correct on the card, I was about ready to give up on it. However, a customer service representative from their back-office called me up one day to see whether the issue had been resolved yet. I told him that it had not been taken care of and shared with him some of the lengthy ordeal. He assured me that he would talk with the staff and employees at my local branch so they would know how to correct it properly in the future. After, a local bank teller ordered it the fourth and final time; it came back to me correctly.

You may say, "What is so important about a name...specifically your name in this case?"

A name is very important. It is also very personal.

In God's word, He talks about calling people by their names.

"He calls his own sheep by name..." (John 10:3, NIV)

In addition, it was normally only God who gave people new or different names. There are three separate occasions which currently stand out in scripture when God changed people's names.

First of all, God changed Abram's name to Abraham.

"You are the LORD God, who chose Abram and brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans and named him Abraham." (Neh 9:7, NIV)

He told Abraham that He was also giving his wife, Sarai, a new name.

"God also said to Abraham, 'As for Sarai your wife, you are no longer to call her Sarai; her name will be Sarah.'" (Gen 17:15, NIV)

Lastly, God changed Jacob's name as well.

"God said to him, 'Your name is Jacob, but you will no longer be called Jacob; your name will be Israel.” So he named him Israel.'" (Gen 35:10, NIV)

These are just a few instances of God giving people new or different names.

God is the only one who should ever give people new or different names. He is also the only one who should ever have the right to change people's names. Afterall, He created you and knew you before you were even in your mother's womb. (Psalm 139:13, 71:6) Therefore, the next time, someone other than your Creator tries to change your name or give you a different name. Do not allow it! Speak up and out!


Copyright 2011 by Dawn Freeman. All rights reserved.