SCRIPTURE
“To whom then will you liken me, or to whom shall I be equal?” says the Holy One. “Lift up your eyes on high, and see who has created these things, who brings out their host by number; He calls them all by name, by the greatness of His might and the strength of His power; not one is missing.” Isaiah 40:25-26 NKJV
“But now,” thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob, and He who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are mine.” Isaiah 43:1 NKJV
SPOTLIGHT
People like it when someone calls them by their name. They feel significant and valued. How well do you remember the names of people? People want to be known by their name. They will more readily listen to someone who calls them by name. This is why you need to pay attention to God. He knows the name of every star in the universe. In addition, Almighty God, the Creator of heaven and earth, knows your name. [see passages above]. WOW! That is incomprehensible for a human to fathom, because there are over 7 billion people living on earth at the time of this writing.
People may not remember your name, but God never forgets it. You are so very important to Your Creator. You do not go unseen, or overlooked by God. He places a very high value on your life. Imagine the one true living God calling you by name. He is not yelling or angry, but using your name lovingly and respectfully. The government considers your social security number more important than your name. Many times, people call others by their last name, rather than honorably acknowledging them by their first name. In high school, teachers would often call me by my last name. God honors you by calling you by the name you want to be called. Clearly this tells you that God not only created you, but deeply loves you. He invites you to become His child. Then He becomes your Heavenly Father, Who will care for you like no other. When you really realize this great truth, you will say along with the Psalmist David, “When I look up into the night skies and see the work of Your fingers—the moon and the stars You have made— I cannot understand how You can bother with mere puny man, to pay any attention to him! And yet You have made him only a little lower than the angels and placed a crown of glory and honor upon his head. You have put him in charge of everything you made; everything is put under his authority.” [Psalm 8:3-6].
How well do you get along with people? Do you like people? People are not going to go away. God wants people to like and love people. One way of doing this is by remembering the names of people. So often people do not bother to try to remember names because they do not think it is necessary. God thinks it is necessary. He considers all people to be valuable and important. Shouldn’t you? When you choose to remember a person’s name, you are communicating to them their significance.
Liking people, and better yet loving people, pays big dividends. Samuel Goldwyn, a famous Hollywood movie producer, said, “Liking people is one of the most important ingredients of getting the most out of life. If you like people, you have a zest, an enthusiasm for working and for a living – you give yourself to others and, in return, you find yourself getting a great deal from them. Once it becomes a part of you, it will pay dividends, not only in your work but in the sheer enjoyment of living. Try it and see for yourself.”
SOMETHING TO DO
Are you irritated with yourself for not being able to remember names? It is embarrassing. Here are three tips that might help:
#1. Try repeating the person’s name right after you meet that person. For example, “I’m so glad to finally meet you, Ms. Johnson.”
#2. Write down the person’s name after speaking with him/her. Look at it before you forget it.
#3. Associate something with the person’s name. If you met them at a Bible study, then connect them with that moment.
SOUL TIME PRAYER
Almighty God, thank You that I can call You Father because You know me by name. I am so grateful that You value me. Help me to remember people’s names, so I can communicate to them their value and significance in this world, just as You have communicated this to me. AMEN.