A Great Name

I was thinking this morning about names. For the most part, names don't mean as much today as they did in the past. We choose names largely because of the way they sound or because they have been in our family. In biblical times, names meant much more. The meaning behind the name often reflected the character of the person. That is why the different names of God have such a deep importance to what we know about who God is and what His character is. We can know His character based on the names ascribed to Him.

But then I was also thinking about the name I have been given. My last name is Kleager and where I grew up this name has earned respect. I grew up in a farming town in Western Nebraska and there were quite a few Kleagers around. It was not uncommon for someone to meet me and say, "Are you Lou or Randy's boy" or "Is your Grandpa Clyde or Frank?" These are all Kleagers (and just a few of them in the area) and with our name came a sense of honor and respect. I continue to feel obligated to honor this name for which others have worked hard to establish credibility.

I also have another name that has been given to me. It is the name Christian. I am a Christian because God has adopted me as one of His children. I didn't do anything to earn this adoption but it was the gift of God through His son Jesus Christ. And as an adopted child of the Lord God, I can claim the name Christian. This name, while often slandered or ridiculed today, carries a deep level of respect and honor. I need not be ashamed to be a Christian because it is the most precious name I could have. The Almighty God, the God of all power and might, God of the entire universe has adopted me as His child and given me His name. I am humbled and grateful. "How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!" 1 John 3:1