What’s in a Name?

~~ Proverbs 22:1 (NIV84) ~~  A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.

---

by Carley Cooper

Microsoft Office Copyright Free Images

I walked into my apartment building after church dragging with me several bags of groceries that I had picked up on the way home.  As I was getting on the elevator Donna (not her real name), who also lives in the building, was getting off.  She said “Hi Kaylee.  How are you doing?”  My first thought was “Awwww, my name isn’t Kaylee.  It’s Carley!”  But I didn’t say that.  I just said, with a big smile, “I’m doing great thanks, and you?”.   I’ve told Donna several times that my name is Carley but she still gets it wrong.  But, I figured why fight it?  I will just go with it.  Besides, what’s in a name anyway; really? 

It’s not that I’m not used to that.  My given name on my birth certificate is Carla.  My family still calls me that.  Carley is what everyone else that calls me now, which started about twelve years ago as a pet name from my last relationship; and it stuck.  I like to think of it as a new name from God for the new me.  The old me before I had a relationship with Him, verses the new me that does have a relationship with Him.  It’s a little bit like when God renamed Abram to Abraham (Genesis 17:5 NIV84), Sarai to Sarah (Genesis 17:15 NIV84), Jacob to Israel (Genesis 32:28 NIV84), and Simon to Peter , (John 1:42 NIV84).  A new name for the new born again person with a new mission.  Out with the old, in with the new. 

All my life, Carla was a rather unusual name.  It seemed people always had a hard time with it.  I’d say “Hi, I’m Carla”.  They would respond with “Oh, you mean Carol!”, or “Karen”, “Caroline”, “Carly”, “Kaylee”, or any number of others that start with a hard C or K sound.  I always responded with “No, I mean Carla.”  Every time I got the most confused look on people’s faces.  I never understood that thought.  I mean, why would I introduce myself as Carla if I meant something else?  Don’t you think I would remember that?  Of course, with my Mom it was a whole different story.  You would think that she would remember the name of her first born child!  But, nooooo!  She often called me by someone else’s name.  I think everyone’s Mommy does that, but I don’t have any sisters for her to get me confused with like most parents would do.  But that didn’t stop her.  See, my Mom has three sisters.  I often got called by all three names of my aunts before she finally got out the name of her daughter!  I even got “Hey you” every once in a while. 

So, have you ever wondered about what’s in a name?  The truth is there is a lot in a name.  There’s so much in a name that it can direct the path of our lives sometimes.  Some even say that it can contribute to molding a child’s character as they grow.  I can see how the ‘Boy named Sue’ would have some issues on the playground.  Anyway, a problem develops when we give ourselves or others names that are horrible.  I’ve called myself things like ‘ugly’, ‘disgusting’, ‘evil’, ‘fat’, ‘stupid’, ‘loser’, ‘hopeless’, ‘useless’; and many others that are much worse.  Growing up, in school, I was given many bad names from other kids; such as ‘bean pole’, ‘skinny Minnie’, ‘stupid’, ‘that thing’.  Even as an adult situations often occur where people feel the need to label me as something bad; just like when I am going through stressful times I tend to name myself with awful words.  These things hurt.  My doc says that the old saying ‘sticks and stones may break my bones, but names can never hurt me’, is a load of (excuse me, but as he puts it...) “crap”.  He says that these things affect our mental and emotional well being drastically.  He says that these issues are often worse than physical problems because they can affect us for the rest of our lives.  Which I totally understand, because it does affect me daily even all these years later what the kids said to me in school.  What’s worse, though, is that I came to believe those things and started saying them to myself.  Now I’m in the middle of years of therapy, counseling and positive-thinking training to change all these things.    

My name; really, means something so different than all these other things.  Carla means ‘one who is strong’.  My middle name Yvonne comes from the root of ‘Eve’ meaning ‘Life’ and Anna meaning ‘Gracious’.  Carley means ‘Freed Woman’.  Looking at these definitions together seems to tell a lot about me.  Though I often don’t feel strong, I know that I have come through a lot in my life.  (Details coming in a book that is in progress!  Stay tuned loyal readers.  It’s coming.)  Actually, I have discovered in the past five or six years that I am much stronger than I had ever given myself credit for before.  I have to be, or I wouldn’t have survived this long.  The words Life and Gracious are things that I strive to be; someone that shows a vibrancy for life and a woman who is gracious showing the Holy Spirit within.  Freed woman is who and what I am, thanks to the sacrifice that God gave us through Jesus.  It all fits. 

The truth is that the names that people give us, or even those that we give ourselves means nothing; or shouldn’t mean anything.  It’s the names that God gives us that tell us who we are truly.  See, according to God's Word, I am:

• Wonderfully made – Psalm 139:13-14
• Created to do good works – Ephesians 2:10
• Chosen – Colossians 3:12
• Rescued – 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
• Child of God – John 1:12
• Forgiven – Colossians 1:14
• A new creation – 2 Corinthians 5:17
• Free from condemnation – Romans 8:1
• A Saint – Ephesians 1:1
• Righteous and Holy – Ephesians 4:24
• Able to approach God – Ephesians 3:12
• Complete in Christ – Colossians 2:10
• A temple where Christ lives – 1 Corinthians 3:16, 6:19
• A member of Christ’s Body – 1 Corinthians 12:27
• An heir with Christ – Romans 8:17
• A citizen of heaven – Philippians 3:20
• An alien here – 1 Peter 2:11
• A minister of reconciliation – 2 Corinthians 5:18
• An ambassador for God – 2 Corinthians 5:20
• Salt and Light – Matthew 5:13-14
• Christ’s follower – Matthew 28:18-20
• Empowered – Acts 1:8
• Gifted – 1 Corinthians 12
• Friend of God – John 15:14-15
• Beloved – Deuteronomy 33:12
• and most of all I am LOVED – John 3:16.

Of all the names and labels that there is in the whole world, there is one name that has the greatest meaning and the biggest impact.  That is the name of Jesus.  The bible tells us that Jesus is the Greek form of Joshua, which means ‘the LORD saves’ (Matthew 1:21 NIV84).  This, the name of Jesus, the  most beautiful name ever means these things:

Names of Jesus
Name	Meaning / Significance	Reference (NIV84)
Son of God	The special relationship of Jesus to God	Mark 1:1
Son of Man	The human identity of Jesus	Matthew 8:20
Son of David	Jesus is descendant of King David	Matthew 15:22
Word	Jesus revealed God	John 1:1
Lamb of God	Jesus is the sacrifice for world’s sin	John 1:29
Christ	The Greek for ‘Anointed One’	Matthew 16:16
Savior	The one who saves	John 4:14
Rabbi / Teacher	Jesus taught people about God	John 1:38, Mark 5:35
Author of life	One who gives life	Acts 3:15
Alpha and Omega	The first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, meaning that Jesus is the beginning and the end.	Revelation 1:8
Lion of Judah	A title of the Messiah	Revelation 5:5
King of Kings / Lord of Lords	The ruler of all people	Revelation 19:16
Bright Morning Star	The one who gives light	Revelation 22:16
Word of God	Jesus is the voice of God	Revelation 19:13
Holy and Righteous	Attributes of Jesus	Acts 3:14
Head of the Church	The leader of all Christians	Ephesians 5:23
Immanuel	God with us	Isaiah 7:14
Prince of Peace	Jesus will bring everlasting peace	Isaiah 9:6
Wonderful Advisor	Jesus will always rule with honesty and justice	Isaiah 9:6
Mighty God	Jesus is supreme	Isaiah 9:6
Eternal Father	Jesus is eternal	Isaiah 9:6

Sometimes I wonder if I’m still called Carla as well as Carley in my life because now and then I revert back to being the old me?  The name above all names, Jesus, tells me that I am a freed woman with my roots in strength, life and graciousness.  He has freed me from the bondage of bad names.  I am royalty.  I am a daughter of the King; a child of the living God who created the universe.  So what’s in your name?

---

~~ Dear God ~~  Thank You for giving us Jesus; the name above all names, the most beautiful name ever spoken.  Please help me to see myself the way You see me.  Clear my mind of negative thinking and the horrible names that I tend to want to attach to myself.  Please help me to never put such harmful labels on anyone else.  Thank You for giving me the names that You have given me; that tell me I am strong, gracious and free in this wonderful life.  In Jesus name, AMEN.

---

‘Who am I?’ Labels list source: Barrie Free Methodist Church bookmark  
‘Names of Jesus’ chart source: JesusAnswers.com

---

 

Here’s a tribute to the one and only Man in Black, Johnny Cash.  He might have worn black but he was a wonderful man of God.  Here’s Johnny doing ‘The Boy Named Sue’ live in San Quentin Prison in 1969. 

 

 

 Here’s another song by Newsboys called ‘The Name Above All Names’. 

 

---