Finding Freedom in a New Name

Have you ever longed for someone to tell you who you really are? When God gives you a new name, it isn’t about your performance—it’s about His delight.

When a Movie Speaks to Your Spirit

God often uses movies to touch my heart, and that was the case a few years ago when I watched The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.

At the end of the movie, the four Pevensie children took their places on four thrones in the castle of Cair Paravel. These children were not the same as when they had entered the Land of Narnia. They had come face to face with evil and betrayal. They had experienced war and fought courageously. They had experienced the sacrificial love of the lion-king Aslan and witnessed an “ancient magic” reverse the curse of death.

Following these events, Aslan offered each of the children a new destiny, and they all accepted. At this point, something wonderful happened …

The King gave each of them a NEW NAME!

Have there been times in your life when you wished someone could step into your story and tell you your destiny and who you really are? I know this has been true for me.

After I saw this movie, I asked God for a new name. I wanted something strong like “Rebuilder of Broken Walls” or “Peacemaker,” but when I randomly opened my Bible to Isaiah 62, the name “Hephzibah” caught my eye. Yet I doubted there was any significance to this.

Later that week, I was visiting a church, and the pastor’s wife approached me and said, “God wants to give you a new name. It starts with an H.”

Are you kidding me? I thought. How does this person know I asked God for a new name?

Then she said, “I don’t know how to pronounce it, but it’s Hep-something.”

That was all I needed. I knew God wanted me to take that name in Isaiah 62 as my own—the name I had ignored before.

Delight Instead of Duty

Isaiah 62:4 reveals the meaning of that name: “My delight is in her.” At first, I was underwhelmed. I had hoped for a name that sounded like a calling—something bold, brave, or world-changing. But this name didn’t demand anything. It simply declared God’s affection.

I’ll admit, my heart was a little deflated when I discovered my new identity. I’d longed my whole life for something to do, and this name certainly gave me no glorious mission to fulfill!

Yet God continued to show me verses about His sheer delight in us. He reminded me He sings over us … rejoices in us … and allows His glory to be reflected through us. We are so loved by our King!

And then it hit me …

My life will never be about what I do for God—it’s about who I am in Him!

God delights in us—not just in what we do for Him, but in our very existence. His heart is grieved when we substitute activity for a relationship with Him. But as we begin to delight in Him, the things we do in life will stem from our love relationship with Him instead of obligation.

Who You Are, Not What You Do

So, do you know who you are? Do you understand that in God’s eyes you’re much more than what you do or the things you accomplish?

To help you discover your true identity in Christ, take inventory of what you love … what gives you joy and makes you smile … and what causes you pain and brings you to tears. As you consider questions like these, listen for the King to tell you who you are!

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