2 Corinthians 3:17-18
"…17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into His image with intensifying glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit."
When I was much younger and having babies I was told by Christians that I should name my children after famous men from the Bible to give them great men to emulate as they grew up.
I questioned this practice because it didn't make sense to me. I didn't believe that someone automatically became the character of the man they were named after simply because they had that man's name.
Then as I pondered that all men are fallen, all men need a Savior and no one is without sin, it occurred to me that naming a child after a man would not only reflect the idea of the good of that man it would also reflect the evil of that man. Since it was evident to me that all men have some good and all men have some evil but that an unregenerate man is basically all evil, then it made no sense to me to guide our children toward revering a man or woman they were named after.
Romans 3:23
"23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,"
It occurred to me that God said we should emulate Christ, only He is worthy to be followed. Following the character of any man is to set our sights on men rather than on Christ.
Names in the Jewish culture had meaning to describe the man's character and were guided by God Himself in many cases. As we read God's word we see this in the Hebrew culture. However we see no mandate in the word of God for Gentiles to name their children according to a genealogy.
God's people, the Jews, had a special mandate from God concerning names because they were the special people with an heritage down from David through the line of Christ.
I do believe it is possible that God gives names to the heart of a parent that reflect what the character of that child will become. But only God knows the character of a child. Naming a child after someone because we like them or they have done something good has no magical power or influence over a child's character. It is better to hear from God in the naming of our children so that they reflect their own character and not that of another man.
I know this is true because I know many people in my lifetime who have been named after family members who were nothing like their namesakes. They didn't emulate them or even know much about them to be able to emulate them. Some of these people were a disgrace to their namesake and others became better than the one whom they were named after.
1 Corinthians 2:15-16 "…15 The spiritual man judges all things, but he himself is not subject to anyone’s judgment. 16 “For who has known the mind of the Lord, so as to instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ."
God would never tell us to become like another man. But He does tell born again believers to become like Christ.
If you were not named after someone you were special. You were a blank slate that God could shape into whatever He wanted without prejudice.
Also remember that God has His own name for us based on our own character, personality and talents. Each individual will stand before the Lord for who they are, not anyone they were named after.
A woman will stand before the Lord alone without her husband to give an account of her life, it will not be based on the life of her husband. Every human being will stand alone before God to give an account based on their own decisions, their own trust in Christ or lack of trust in Christ.
No one will be able to use anyone else as an excuse for their actions or lack of actions. No one will be using their name sake as a reason why they did anything.
The person we were named after does not live in us, does not direct us and has no influence over us, only Christ is all that for us.
I guess my point is this; do not be hindered by the example of the person you were named after, set your sights higher toward Christ Who saved you, lives in you and guides your path.
Only Christ is worthy to be emulated!
Psalms 118:8 - "[It is] better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man."
Those who are born again trust in Christ alone!
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