“[‘Loved’] may be the most important name of all. And it has come to be my favorite. Everything rests on knowing and believing this name. This name is central to the Christian faith, to who our God is, and who we are. We are loved, and we’re called this name by a God whose love never ends.”- Esther Fleece Allen
“God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.”- 1 John 4:16 (NIV)
Esther Fleece Allen concludes Chapter 3 of Your New Name with the sixth and final look at who God says we are.
6. You are named ‘Loved’. Most people, Esther observes, more often than not, feel more condemned than they feel loved. As a result, they feel scared as they wait for the other shoe to drop. Yet, Esther stresses, God doesn’t want us to live in inner turmoil. Brokenness fails to result in free and abundant living. Therefore, it describes what living out of fear and broken labels looks like. A doom-and-gloom outlook.
In addition, believing these wrong labels prevents us from receiving unconditional love. Also, it blocks people from knowing our true selves. Instead, becoming love for others starts with believing it for ourselves.
In conclusion, Esther offers this summary of the six looks at our new names:
“Which new name can you discover for yourself? God desperately wants to give you a new name and make it personal to you. Getting a new name is part of your testimony. What new name can you begin to live out of? All of these beautiful names . . . are only the beginning. God calls us so many names in Scripture. . . . Learning our new names may take only a moment, but believing our new names is the project of a lifetime.”
Hence, Esther exhorts, bathe yourself in Scripture. Rather than letting the prevailing culture name you. And, God often uses trusted friends or your church family to help you get a clearer picture of yourself.
Today’s question: Do you agree with Esther’s view of ‘Loved’ as the most important name of all? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “Follow God to a new land – overcome fear”
