She was dying of AIDS. Her husband had already passed away, and her son was moments away from birth. As he entered the world, the midwife asked, “what do you want to name him?”
“Kill him if you want to!” she yelled.
Shortly after, she breathed her last breath.
This is a true story of a boy my team met in a village of Mozambique. He had been called “kill him if you want to” by the community. It was his name. It was his identity for 11 years.
How often does the world identify us with names? How often does it whisper lies to define us? How often do we believe them?
Ugly, stupid, unworthy, “you’ll never get anywhere in life,” “your story doesn’t matter,” unnoticed, unimportant, unloved, “I’m stuck here,” “I don’t have gifts,”…and the list goes on.
The world spends every moment trying to kill us. It tries to kill our spirit. It tries to suffocate any ounce of life and anything that glorifies God.
What has the world been calling you? What have you believed?
Just last year, a different team came and changed that boy’s name. They called him, “Joshua,” and now the community calls him Joshua. He has a new life, because he has a new identity!
We are all born into a world that labels us as dead. We are dead, and the world just wants to spit us out. It doesn’t care; “Kill him/her if you want to!” it screams. And we believe that is our worth: nothing.
When we reach our end and say, “I don’t want to live this dead life/believe these lies anymore,” we die to that life. We are called to accept the free gift of grace from Jesus Christ. Just as he died to this world, so do we. The amazing part is what comes after: He rose from the death of the world, and He lives eternally in Heaven and in our hearts (as the Holy Spirit); So, we also rise again, to a new life with a new identity as a child of God.
God changes our name (rooted in Him and His promises). Our new identity is: loved, son/daughter, sanctified, friend, free, new creation, confident, heir, chosen, holy, redeemed, forgiven, bold, accepted…etc.
This happens when we allow Jesus to transform our story!
Are you ready to stop believing there is nothing more for you? Are you ready to say, “yes,” to a new identity and let go of the lies the world is telling you?
God wants to tell you why He created you, what He loves about you, His plans for you, and so much more!
He wants to erase the names we are given/we give ourselves from birth. He wants to give you a new name. Are you ready to live in your new identity?
