I Have a New Name

We are FORGIVEN

We are CHERISHED

We are LOVED

We are FREE

Today is a day above all other days. Today we are refreshed. Today we are forgiven. Today we are free. Today Jesus has risen. He paid the ultimate price for us. God sacrificed His Son for us. We are loved, we are forgiven, and we are FREE.

We have a tendency to accept the names the world gives us. We hear these names so many times that we start to believe them. We hear unloved, 2nd place, ugly, unworthy, forgotten, rejected, impure, garbage, addict, forever broken, lonely, disgusting.

Why do we accept these names? Why do we listen to what the world calls us? When we are in a season of waiting...any season of waiting, we look to what the world thinks of us. We look to what our friends think of us. We want to know their opinions and we value Facebook comments or Instagram likes to know our worth.

On this day, above all other days, we as Christians and non-Christians are free. We have been given the ultimate gift of love. Someone paid an ultimate price for us to be free, to be loved. Do you feel worthy of His sacrifice? Do you feel the love from His pain?

There are days I do not feel worthy of this sacrifice, days I don't deserve his love. We fall and stumble and feel like we've let Him down. But He has given us freedom. He has given us love. He has given us a new name.

He has called us friend (John 15:15), chosen (1 Thessalonians 1:4), art & His workmanship (Ephesians 2:10), our body is His temple (1 Corinthians 6:19), His messenger of the gospel (Acts 1:8), His child (Galatians 3:26), greatly loved (Romans 5:8), free (John 8:36), and brand new (2 Corinthians 5:17).

We tend to forget that He first loved us. We forget our worth. When we struggle with loneliness and despair that we will be alone (singles I'm talking to you and me), we are never alone. We are greatly loved!

I encourage you to take some time and read these verses above. Post them on your mirror so you see them everyday. Add the notes to your bible, in your car, your wallet, etc. Post them anywhere that you need the reminder that Jesus paid the ultimate price for us. He made this sacrifice for our eternal life and to show us love.

This weeks post was inspired by some spoken word poetry by Hosanna Poetry. I've written previously inspired about flexing your brave but this week, I Have a New Name spoke to me and it seems especially relevant with Easter. I've attached the video of the complete poetry and a short clip of her sermon about fighting your true identity.

We live in a society of constantly wanting to know what everyone else thinks of us. I encourage you to watch it and listen to the names God calls us.