What's Your NAME?

We all compare ourselves to others. We spend so much time wondering what others think and say about us. Some of us even wish we were someone else. We question why we are the way we are and not the way we wish we could be. Some of us have let the expectations of others dictate who we've become. We act a certain way to be accepted but know deep down that we're being untrue. But why are we so concerned with what other people think, say, or look like? What does it say about us if we are unable to accept who we are? Maybe if we really knew our true selves, we wouldn't give so much attention to other peoples' lives and live more in tune with the life God wants for us?

What's your name and who are you? Lately, my girls have been asking everyone they meet these very questions. We all desire to know the answer don't we? This morning, we watched another compelling Nooma video that led to some great discussion time and thought-provoking questions. We've all heard the saying, "We have to love ourselves before we can love others." As Christians, I think the saying should be more like, "We have to know who we are in Christ and accept the love that God has freely graced us with, before we can truly love others in the way that God wants us to love them." The awesome thing about God's love and acceptance is that no matter who you were in the past or what you were called, (much like Jacob, when he finally surrendered), you have the ability to be known by your Creator and live a victorious second life.

Don't we all have a natural tendency to compare ourselves? Perhaps even thinking that maybe the grass is greener on the other side? These thoughts of envy and insufficiency only grow cancerous if we don't nip them in the bud and find peace and contentment from the One who is our El Shaddai (Our All-Sufficient God).These are not the thoughts that God wants us to consume our minds with. However, there is one that thrives on our feelings of inadequacy, our countless distractions throughout the day, and our false sense of security. He is the prince of this world and sadly, he is the unrelenting accomplice to many a destructive end.

From the discussion questions, I loved the first part of the second question. It asked, "Do you have the sense of a unique path in your life? If so, what is it?" As I've shared in the past, I have finally come to understand and accept who I truly am in Christ and what He thinks of me. It has taken me years to get to this point- even as a believing Christian. I was excited that without a doubt, I could say YES to that question. There was a time in my life when I wasn't too sure if that were really so. The ironic thing is that when I started to learn more about who God was, it became easier to accept more of who I was. With that, comes peace and freedom like I've never known. It also helps to build faith and trust. Each one of us has our own unique path in life. Life is so often a lesson about finding our own path and learning to embrace it isn't it?

I just loved how God worked out all the details this morning. He knew that we needed to hear Shelley's devotion on Trusting in (and knowing) the Names of God and how that would be a perfect prelude to the NAME video. I sincerely hope that you were encouraged and blessed this morning.

Please feel free to share your thoughts and leave a comment!