Do you want to make a name for yourself? Whether we want to or not we are making a name for ourselves in the circle of our friends.
   At birth our parents give us a name that identifies us. We spend the rest of our lives making that name mean something.
   What's in a name?  Webster says a name is a title by which one is known. Shakespeare in his play, Romeo and Juliet, said, ""What's in a name? That which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet."  The Bible says a "good name" is better than riches. (Prov. 22:1)
    Our names  tell our family's story. It tells our history, what we have done. It's our pedigree. In slavery, a slave's last name changed from plantation to plantation, depending on the name of his master. He had no identity of his own, but only that of his master. In the mid sixties the late Malcolm Little dropped his last name, saying it was a slave name and changed it to Malcolm X to represent the unknown family name of his origins. We can track our history through our last name; it can carry us back hundreds of years.
    While our last name tells our family's story, our first name tells our story. It distinguishes us from the rest of the members of our family. For about 100 years after the Civil War Blacks commonly gave their children Bible names. Names such as Samuel, Joseph, David, Matthew, Thomas, Ruth, Mary and Martha were common. Parents hoped their children would grow to take on the characteristics of these great Bible characters.  In the age of the Soap Opera, many named their children after characters on the afternoon soaps and children born during the Afro American Renaissance found themselves with names from Africa or at least an African sound.
    What we do and how we do it, what we say and how we say it, the way we live and how we live it, what we achieve and how we achieve it, are the ingredients that make our name.
   
    There are many who have made names for themselves already. When we hear their names images come to mind. We associate courage and strength to the names of Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks. We associate intelligence and achievement to the names of Barack Obama, Condoleezza Rice and Colin Powell.
     There are others who have made a name for themselves, too. The images that come to mind when we hear their names are not always positive, inspiring or noteworthy.
     Even today, youth are making names for themselves. Certain words are said in our family that associate us with how we are perceived: smart, mischievous,  helpful, pain in the neck, arrogant, disrespectful, darling, perfect, and no-good are just some of the names that are being applied to us by others...what's important, is which of those names we will apply to ourselves.
    In our quest to make a name for ourselves, God promises to give us a name that will be recognized in heaven, if we follow Him, believe in Him and trust Him. In fact, we have been promised that if we walk humbly, repent and honor His name that he will heal, bless and  raise us to high heights.  2 Chronicles 7:14 says, "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. "
   As Christians, we are making a name for ourselves. It is a name that brings glory to God and lifts up the name of the savior. If anybody asks you who I am, tell them I'm a child of God.