What’s in a name?

“What’s in a name? that which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.”

- Juliet, Romeo & Juliet, Act II Scene II

I like names. I like names that have purpose and meaning. Growing up I’d always ask my parents why they picked my name and my mom’s answer was always the same, “We just liked it.”

It never satisfied me, especially since it felt like every other girl was named Jessica.  But once I found out what my name meant, “the grace of God,” I was a little more attached to it. At least I was more than just Jessica O.

Since then I’ve been drawn to names that mean something, that are intentional. Some of my favorite passages in the Old Testament are when God changes someone’s name. It’s powerful.

No longer will they call you Deserted, or name your land Desolate. But you will be called Hephzibah [my delight is in her], and your land Beulah [married]; for the Lord will take delight in you, and your land will be married.

Isaiah 62:4

There is a certain amount of identity in a name.

Your name does not define you as a person, but it identifies you. It tells who you are and to whom you belong.

I’ve thought of changing my blog name in the last year or so, but I’m attached to it. I really do love it. I just hope people don’t see it as cheesy and identify it with the “I’m a princess” t-shirts, key chains, license plate frames, high-and-mighty attitude, and such.

Not that there’s really anything wrong with most of those, per se, that’s just not what I mean when I say princess.

Let me tell you why I choose Reflections of a Princess.

I do believe that each woman who follows Christ is a princess. Now…I know some of you are laughing or rolling your eyes (I could probably name names), but if we’re children of the Most High God–the King of all–then what else would that make us?

We are servants (1 Cor. 4:1), we are heirs (Ro. 8:17), we are children (Jn. 1:12), we are ambassadors (2 Cor. 5:21), “we are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God” (1 Pe. 2:9), we are aliens and strangers in the world (1 Pe. 2:11).

I once heard Beth Moore say being a princess means responsibility.

And it does.

A servant has responsibility.

An heir has responsibility.

An ambassador has responsibility.

A priest has responsibility.

Our greatest privilege as children of God is to accurately represent Him to the world. To serve him. To share in his sufferings and joys. To be responsible with the resources and privileges we’re given. To proclaim and represent him to the world. To lead and cultivate those gentle hearts in our care to love him. To lean on him for strength, wisdom, and understanding.

We are the only representation of the kingdom of God many people will see. We may not carry a flag with our Sovereign’s standard on it, we may not wear the colors of royalty, we may not have a signet ring or seal to denote our position, but we are His representation. His ambassadors.

We are sojourners–an official envoy–of the highest rank representing the kingdom of God here on earth.

That is some powerful stuff.

But what makes being a servant, heir, ambassador, priest, and sojourner so precious is this:

We are children.

We not only have responsibility, we have privilege.

Because what ambassador, servant, or priest can crawl into their Master’s lap and say, “Abba! Father!” (Ro. 8:15)?

So here I am, just one of the many daughters of the King, reflecting, pondering, and musing on living authentically, purposefully, and passionately.

My goal and my aim is to pursue Christ for all that he’s worth and live a life that reflects such a journey.

That’s the story behind the name, what’s yours?

Tagged as: ambassador, name meaning