What’s in a name? The meanings of a few and how it can define your life

Ever since I was young, in grade school from what I can remember, I always thought the name of a person was very important. As if someone’s name really represented who they are and what they were destined to be. Being of Filipino descent, growing up in Burbank, California I would experience slight prejudice on occasions. Some people thought I was Chinese, many thought I was of Mexican heritage. But since my name was “Ryan”, an Irish name, it made all the things more confusing. I wanted a different name, a cooler name. I thought “Ryan” was so plain and ordinary. I wanted a name to stand out from the crowd.

Later I came to understand from a book on names that one meaning of “Ryan” was Little King. I used to think, “this is cool” but then again, I was short amongst the other kids and even until now I am still short but when I was growing up, my height was a slight insecurity. I remember wishing I could become taller to see how it would be and how people would treat me. It wouldn’t be until I was 26 years old and started racing motorcycles did I find my height and smaller frame as a competitive advantage. Thank you God for my size.

I just read this morning in the book of Luke that the name John means “The Lord is gracious” and that the name Jesus means “The Lord saves”, both from Hebrew. Reading this I have realized there is a lot in a name. So much that an Angel named Gabriel came to earth to tell a prophet named Zechariah (his name means “God Remembers”) that him and his wife will have a son and they shall name him John. He was given this name. It was and is important. It represents what he was set apart to do for God and the people of this world, to pave the way for the coming of the Messiah, or the “Anointed”, or Jesus. God is gracious and God saves.

We are all given the blessing of life and our particular skills, talents and abilities. We are also given a name from our parents but I expect divinely by God.

I pray we all come to understand what we are set out to do on this earth, so that God can be glorified and all on this earth benefit from the lives we live. Thank you Jesus, in your name I pray. Amen.