I read an article not too long ago about how fewer women are changing their name when they get married these days.
I don’t really have a dog in that fight; when we got married, my wife changed her last name to mine, but I don’t remember it being a discussion, really.
Should it be a discussion? Who knows. That’s above my pay grade. Nothing sinful in it as far as I can see.
Regardless, when you look in Scripture, God changed people’s names a lot.
Simon (Peter) became Cephas.
Jacob became Israel.
And Abram became Abraham.
Not as much of a change as the others, but still worthwhile.
Why Did God Change People’s Names?
Most of these name changes reflect some kind of meaning. When Jesus changed Peter’s name to Cephas, it was to emphasize the “rock” meaning of his name.
Peter would later be regarded as a pillar of the church by Paul (Galatians 2:9), so I guess the name change fit.
Likewise, the name change from Abram to Abraham signified something different. Abraham literally means “father of many,” so the name change showed how his descendants would literally fill the earth.
What Would Your Name Be?
I’m not asking you to head down to the Social Security office and legally change your name, but think about your life. What is it’s purpose? What are your spiritual goals? What impact are you making for the kingdom?
If God were to change your name to show your impact on God’s people, what would He change it to?