The Family Name

More than a few times in my life, particularly in my teens, one of the reasons I did not give in to peer pressure to do some stupid thing, was that I heard the echo of my Dad's voice in my mind, "You're a Scott. Take care of that name." Somehow he imbued me with a sense of family honor. It was not that we were some kind of royals, or that I was aware of long-standing family traditions, or even that I had emotional connections with a long line of ancestors. Family honor was a powerful factor to me because my family defined my place in this world. I was loved and accepted, nurtured, and taught by parents who, in the middle of their own challenges, made sure that our family was a solid base. Home was inviting. My successes were celebrated, my bruises healed there. Our table was the center of our social life as we shared much more than food when we sat down together most every night for dinner. We worshipped together always and so it became a matter of importance to me to honor those who formed my sense of identity.

Today, I feel that same sense of love for and honor of the family of God! Many times when temptation comes my way, one of the deterrents to giving in, is the sense of dishonor that my sin would bring to my Lord and to His family, the Church. God has adopted me as His son, given me a name, and included me in His family. His love is shaping me into a person I could not otherwise be and He gives me an identity in this world. My response should not be any less than to love and honor Him. Peter, in his first letter to the churches, talks about our place in God's great family. He says, "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, . . .you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God." (1 Peter 1:3-4; 2:9-10, NIV)

Believer, you and I are given the family name. Other people will judge God based on the way we live. If we are loving, good, and kind; they will conclude that our Father has given us a noble heritage. If we are miserable, ungrateful, and full of insecurities, they may well conclude that God is not worthy of trust, for it will appear that He has cared for our basic needs in life! Peter's conclusion is "Always let others see you behaving properly, even though they may still accuse you of doing wrong. Then on the day of judgment, they will honor God by telling the good things they saw you do." (1 Peter 2:12, CEV)

We honor God by living holy lives.

Holy? Yes! Holiness is not a bad word. It goes far beyond our moral choices, much deeper than what we eat or drink, or how we dress! It means that we understand that we belong to God, that we have no higher purpose in life than to discover and obey His will. True holiness - the sense that we belong to God as members of His family - is a beautiful thing, a powerful motivator to good works that honor the One who called us 'out of darkness and into His glorious Light.' Let God write His Name on your heart. Receive the adoption of the Spirit and with His Presence, a new identity. Then, live to honor the Name.

". . . make sure now that you worship the Lord with all your heart, and don’t turn your back on him. Don’t go back to worshiping worthless idols that cannot help or rescue you—they are totally useless! The Lord will not abandon his people, because that would dishonor his great name. For it has pleased the Lord to make you his very own people." (1 Samuel 12:20-22, NLT)