What's in a Name?

Earlier this summer I stood at the back of a crowded room and had a conversation with someone who told me that my name means “Courageous.”  I’ve heard variations of the meaning of my name before; with most convenience store trinkets ascribing my name as “womanly” or “graceful” in some various form. 

My favorite name meaning for Andrea comes from the reliable source of Urban Dictionary where it says,

              “A gorgeous lady that is one of a kind, the most rare female on the face of the earth; the kind that every guy dreams about.  She is confident, honest, loyal, protective of what she has, strong artistic, beautiful inside and out, excellent lover.  A tower of strength for those she cares for, the rock to her family.  She is a person you can depend on, just don’t go too far in crossing lines with her or those she loves. Or else you better run and get out of her way….because she will come out and get you.”

Thank you, Urban Dictionary, I’ll take it (perhaps without the threatening part of it). 

In the short conversation from earlier this summer I was told my name comes from the Greek word Andros which means “manly,” not in the sense of “masculine” but as brave and more specifically courageous.

I didn’t think much of this conversation in late June, but what followed were two months of situations and moments where I needed to do or say things I never had before.  At random times in these moments I would hear that voice saying, “Your name actually means courageous.”  I would randomly remember that simple conversation at the exact moments I needed to be courageous and to remember that God was in control.  In some ways, remembering my name meant courageous, made me be courageous.

This simple reminder kept me going and reminded me that circumstances didn’t change who I was or more importantly who God was.  It also reminded me of how God sees me.  Not my name, but the names He has given us in Him.

1 Peter 2: 9-10 states:

^“9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. ¹⁰ Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”

How different would we behave if we constantly remembered that we are God’s people?  A people who have received mercy and are His, called into the light.

God has named us as His people.  He doesn’t promise an easy, pain free, non-emotional life as His people but calls us into the light.  Light always exposes things that can be painful and scary to face head on.  It can be tempting to stay in the dark and hide the ugliness sometimes.  But God’s marvelous light comes with peace and a deep understanding of his grace and mercy, and moving forward.

In addition to who we are individually we have been named together as God’s people.  As part of His people we encourage and build each other up, and reach out to others, even when it is tempting to blame.

1 Peter 2:1-5 says:

“So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. 2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— 3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.

4 As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, 5 you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”

I heard an example of building a wall this past week, where if one brick is removed the wall is weakened. The brick is still a brick when it is alone, but it isn’t a wall and doing what it could be doing best.  The wall can still stand without the brick, but it still has a hole and the wall is weakened.  Both the brick and the wall are worse off.  If we are living stones, built on Christ, then there are times we will need to remember that God called us as His people individually and together. 

Christianity is lived out in community where there are weaknesses and strengths used to pour into each other’s lives.  When we remember who we are as God’s people we can put aside everything to grow with each other and be built up as a spiritual house. 

I had to remember the simplistic conversation of the meaning of my name to be what my name means; and I’ve had to remember who I am as part of a community to continue to be part of it and grow.   

We are weak in many ways, but as God brings our imperfectness into His marvelous light He provides encouragement, strength and growth.  As we understand the mercy and grace God has given us as individuals we can extend it to each other in community.