Elul 18 :: A Rose By Any Other Name

Kids can be mean. We all know that, because we all used to be kids at one point in our lives. Most of us survived that, but not without a few bumps or bruises. One of the things I have had to do throughout my adult years is to re-train my brain to stop believing lies that I heard about myself during those growing up years.

That is probably why the song by D.J. Butler that came out in 1987 went straight to my heart.

I will change your name

You shall no longer be called

Wounded, outcast, lonely or afraid

I will change your name

Your new name shall be

Confidence, joyfulness, overcoming one

Faithfulness, friend of God

One who seeks My face 

I used to think that being self-deprecating equated to humility. It doesn't. Humility is a good thing, but it does not involve calling yourself names that YHVH does not call you. It does not involve believing you are less than who YHVH created you to be. A good definition of humility can be found on the Christian Bible Reference Site:

In the Bible, humility or humbleness is a quality of being courteously respectful of others. It is the opposite of aggressiveness, arrogance, boastfulness, and vanity. Rather than, "Me first," humility allows us to say, "No, you first, my friend." Humility is the quality that lets us go more than halfway to meet the needs and demands of others.

There is nothing in that definition that requires believing that we are stupid or worthless. Those are just lies of our accuser, and should be rejected in favor of Truth.

My new name shall be Confidence, Joyfulness, Overcoming One, Faithfulness, Friend of God, One Who Seeks His Face.