The Value of a Name

   I can remember, as a young boy, being taught a very valuable lesson that would stick with me throughout the remainder of my life.

   It was a very simple truth, but at the same time, one that would become the reasoning behind many of the decisions I would go on to make.

   The lesson went something like this:

   No matter where you end up in life; no matter what you might accomplish; no matter how many material possessions you might accumulate; there is one thing that will always be more valuable than any of these things.

   Your name.

   A second part to this same line of thought was the value of your words, because they, for all intents and purposes, are to a large degree synonymous with your name. After all, your name is only as good as your word, and your word is only as good as your name.

   Throughout the course of our lives, we are faced with countless decisions that will do either good or harm to our names.

   What seems entirely unfair is the truth that we can spend our entire lives building a good name for ourselves, only to have that name completely destroyed due to one momentary lapse of reason.

   This is where the beauty and grace of our salvation shines so very brightly.

   No matter how far we stray, and no matter how much damage we may have done to our good names, we can never find ourselves in a place that is too far for God to bring us back.

    ^"....  if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land." - 2 Chronicles 7:14

   This is a truth that we can absolutely depend upon.

   God can absolutely take our severely damaged lives, and our severely damaged names, and turn both into something far more beautiful than we could've imagined.

   Of course, for these things to happen - as the above verse clearly states - there must be a humbling of ourselves, a prayer, a seeking of God's face, and a turning from our wicked ways.

   While God will absolutely seek us out and pursue us before we're even aware of it, it is our responsibility to turn our faces toward Him once we know that He has arrived.

   As you look at your life, how have you done damage to your name?

   How do you believe you need to humble yourself?

   Are there any wicked ways you need to turn from?

   Are you seeking His face?

   God can, and will, turn all of that around for you in the blink of an eye.

   He can give you a name that is far better than any name you could've given yourself.

   A name that you can neither make better or diminish, because it is His name - the name above all names.

   The best part is this: You can't possibly earn it.

   All you can do is ask for it, and then wear it.