YOU ARE A NAME GIVER

Every expectant or hopeful parent knows the pressure that can come with choosing a name. Should it be a family one? Does it need to be deep and meaningful? Does it sound good? Will it fit who they are? Being the one tasked with naming can feel like a big responsibility. But while the act itself is not what matters, the way in which we name does.

Seeing in others their true name, being the one to call it out and bring it to their attention, is a sacred gift we can give one another. We have the opportunity to bless others by calling out the ways we see the Lord manifesting himself in them.

Scripture tells about a royal priest named Melchizedek, whose name means “king of righteousness” and who ruled over a city called Salem (or Shalom, which means “peace”) Melchizedek appeared on the biblical scene just after Abram defeated a king and his allies. Abram gathered with a few other kings to bring a sort of ceremonial conclusion to the conflict. At this gathering, the royal priest Melchizedek appears almost inexplicably, acting as a divine mediator. As a royal priest, Melchizedek does three profound things in Genesis 14:18-20: he sets out a table, he praises God, and he “names” Abram: blessed.

Later in Scripture, we are told that Jesus is a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek. In other words, Jesus came as the almighty King of Shalom, the Great High Priest, and the Blessed Namer. And now as God’s royal priesthood, you and I are invited to follow in Melchizedek’s footsteps and Jesus’ own footsteps. We are tasked with mediating God’s presence—through blessing others by naming them well.

Through the example of our High Priest, Jesus, the one who bestows a name on us, we, too, can speak honor and dignity over the lives we encounter. We can attune ourselves to point out the very names God has given others: teacher, leader, friend, warrior. And by doing so, we set a feast of encouragement before them.

Learning to be a person who speaks dignifying goodness about and over others is something this generation longs for. Most people can tell you the names they were given by those around them—names that cut, names that wounded, names they still carry years after they were first uttered. Our world is longing for an encouraging word that calls out someone’s innate value and worth. This is why we must not forget that like Jesus, our High Priest, we have the opportunity to name as an act of blessing and a way to draw people to the Great High Namer.

Ask

• When have you experienced someone naming you in a way that built your spirit up?
• How does the example of the royal priest setting out a table of bread and wine, praising God, and naming others frame your perspective as you consider your own role as a royal priest?
• How can you ask Jesus to help you become more aware of the ways he wants you to name those around you? Who is he asking you to speak a name of honor and dignity over?

Pray

Lord, help me attuned to your Spirit so that as I go about my days, I can see the goodness in others. May I be like you, naming aloud what I see. Let my words encourage and strengthen those who are discouraged, downhearted, and dismayed. Help me see and celebrate the ways you have uniquely gifted another so that they can stand firm in who they are in you. Amen.