FAITH CAPSULE: Is your name affecting your world positively?

1 Samuel 1

Give a positive name to child. What have you been called to answer in life? Through the bible, many lived life by what they were named to answer. For example, Shiphrah and Puah lived their name to affect their world positively. Shiphrah means “Beautiful One” and Puah mean “Splendid One”. When Pharaoh attempted to reduce the Israelites male children at birth, he commanded midwives named Shiphrah and Puah, “When you do the duties of a midwife for the Hebrew women, and see them on the birthstools, if it is a son, then you shall kill him; but if it is a daughter, then she shall live.” (Exodus 1:16) Beautiful and Splendid woman disappointed Pharaoh and not become agent of killer of Hebrew women’s sons.
What is it about your name that is affecting your world positively?
Hannah named her son Samuel meaning, “…because I have asked for him from the Lord.” (1Samuel 1:20) After years of barrenness, God answered her and she him named Samuel. Samuel is a name answer from God. Samuel greatly affected his world positively as a prophet from God. As a child, he was in position at a time when the word of God was rare. Samuel touched his people as the bible testified, “So Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground. And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel had been established as a prophet of the Lord.” (1 Samuel 3:19-20) The name of Samuel answered to the glory of God.
Bible recorded in Acts 4:36-37; “And Joses, who was also named Barnabas by the apostles (which is translated Son of Encouragement), a Levite of the country of Cyprus, having land, sold it, and brought the money and laid it at the apostles’ feet.” This report was recorded for a purpose of encouragement but not reported for the purpose of storytelling. Joses did not live as a vessel of discouragement to body of believers yesterday and tomorrow.
Have you ever asked yourself, “What does my name mean?”
Search your name to seek if there is a need to change your name. Jabez’s meaning name was pain but he prayerfully made change of his name as it is written, “Now Jabez was more honorable than his brothers, and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, “Because I bore him in pain.”  And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, “Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!” So God granted him what he requested.” (1 Chronicle 4:9-10) In life, ask to a name that will positively affect your generation to the glory of God.

Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace to understand and answer to a positive name for God’s glory.