Have you ever wondered who God says you are? Or have you ever wanted a different name? Maybe you never liked the name your parents chose for you at birth. Or maybe you were teased as a child (or even as an adult) by people calling you names. According to the calendar, February 13th was “Get a Different Name Day.”
As I thought about this “holiday,” I reflected on times I not only wanted but needed a different name. But perhaps not in the way you might expect.
Throughout my life, the enemy has whispered labels in my ear that I began to identify with and call myself. You’ve probably done that occasionally too.
We are new creations
But Christ calls us “new creations.” ”Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17).
God says He gives us a new name. “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches. To everyone who is victorious I will give some of the manna that has been hidden away in heaven. And I will give to each one a white stone, and on the stone will be engraved a new name that no one understands except the one who receives it” (Revelations 2:17).
So just like on the famous episode on the Oprah show where she gave everyone a new car, “you get a new name, and You get a new name, and YOU get a new name!” Everyone who accepts Jesus as their Lord and Savior gets a new name!
Honestly, I don’t care for many of the names and nicknames I’ve received over the years. So I want to agree, receive and accept what God says about me, because He knows me best and loves me most. “A different name” if you will.
17 Bible Verses: what God says about you
- I say (or have said) I am unlovable, but God says I am forever loved.
“And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39).
2. I say (or have said) I am scarred but God says I am healed.
“But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5).
3. I say I am weak, but God says He makes me strong.
“God arms me with strength, and he makes my way perfect” (Psalm 18:32).
4. I recognize I am a sinner, but God says I am forgiven.
“I am writing to you who are God’s children because your sins have been forgiven through Jesus” (1 John 2:12).
5. I was abandoned, but God says I am adopted.
“God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure” (Ephesians 1:5).
6. I say I am broken, but God says He makes me whole.
“So you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority” (Colossians 2:10).
7. I have been rejected, but God says I am His!
“Do not fear. I have redeemed you. I have summoned you. You are mine” (Isaiah 43:1).
8. I say I am alone, but God says He is always with me.
“…Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9).
9. I say I am hopeless, but God says because of Him, I am hopeful.
“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare, and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11).
10. I say I am purposeless, but God says I was created with purpose.
“Perhaps this is the moment for which you’ve been created” (Esther 4:14).
11. I say I have failed, but God says I am victorious in Christ.
“But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:57).
12. I say I am lost, but God says He gives me direction.
“Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying ‘This is the way; walk in it’” (Isaiah 30:21).
13. I say I am worried, anxious, or afraid, but God says with Him I am peace-filled.
“Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27).
14. I say I am unhappy, but God says I am joyful/joy-filled.
“I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!” (John 15:11)
15. I say I am afraid, but God says I am powerful, loved, and have a sound mind.
“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7).
16. I say I am nothing special, but God says I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well” (Psalm 139:14).
17. I say I am worthless, but God says Jesus died because I am worth it.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).
Now it’s your turn. What name have you called yourself that you need to exchange for a different name today?
Because of Him, we have a new name and #HopePrevails!
A Prayer to Remind You What God Says About You
May I pray for you?
Father, I thank you that your Word is the truth which we can believe. I thank you that although the world may tell us all the ways we don’t measure up and all the things we are not, You declare all the good things we are. We are
nothing in ourselves but help us to remember all that we are because of you and who we are with you in us. When discouragement comes, send your Holy Spirit to remind us that we are forever loved, healed, strong, forgiven, adopted, whole, purposeful, hopeful, joyful, peace-filled, victorious, powerful, fearfully and wonderfully made, worthy, and we are yours! And Father, help us to see all those truths in those around us as well. When we are tempted to think of all the negative ways that others
don’t measure up to our standard, help us to remember all the beautiful ways you created them. I thank you that you, Father, have made us each a new creation, and you have given us a new name. In Jesus’s name I pray, Amen.
Because of Him, #HopePrevails!
Hope Prevails Book and Hope Prevails Bible Study {hope for overcoming depression} ~ Find out more about What God Says About You in Hope Prevails.
Available through book retailers!
Hope Prevails: Insights From a Doctor’s Personal Journey Through Depression and the companion Hope Prevails Bible Study help the reader understand how depression comes to be, recover their joy, reclaim their peace, and re-establish their true identity, while knowing their worth, remembering their secure destiny, and being confident that nothing separates them from God’s love.
“Dr. Michelle Bengtson sent this ball over the fence! Hope Prevails is the most helpful and practical thing I’ve read on dealing with depression! A compassionate filled work from someone who’s been through the struggle personally. This is a must have resource for anyone struggling with depression or for those who know someone who is. Armed with Scripture, Dr. Bengtson gives step-by-step strategies for combating the lies of the evil one. Hope is on every page!”
K Douglas Brown, Associate Pastor of Family Ministries at Metropolitan Baptist Church in Oklahoma City, OK
Author, Shotgun Rider: Restoring Your Passion for the Ministry Trail
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True Identity in Christ – Episode 38