I Have a Name

I remember when, as a junior in high school, I was walking down the hallway one day and passed by the school principal, Mr. Kelley. As we neared each other, he looked at me as said, “good morning Donny.” I replied the same, with a cool nonchalance. I wanted to appear natural, but as I moved past him I felt a great sense of pride that my principal, the highest authority in my largest world, knew me by my name. It was even more than pride that affected me, though. From there on, I sensed a greater belonging. I sensed that I mattered to him, that I mattered to my school, and that I mattered to my classmates. It gave me a sense of purpose in that place.

I was struck with the same sense in a, seemingly, nondescript conclusion to a message God gave to Aaron in Leviticus 10: 8-11. Aaron was the brother of Moses (who had led the people of Israel out of Egypt, then spent time alone with God receiving the commandments to deliver to the people). Aaron had just been made high priest, or the leader of the priests, and in these verses God is speaking directly and alone to him for the first time. The message He delivered to Aaron involved instructions he was to give the priests (specifically, that they should not be drunk when ministering), and ended in verse 11, with this -

“…and so as to teach the sons of Israel all the statutes which the LORD has spoken to them through Moses.”

What struck me was not that God sometimes speaks in third person (you could read this, “which ‘I’ spoke through Moses”), but that he mentioned Moses’ name. I read that and thought, how…cool…for…Moses! [If that had been my name I’m sure I would have been jumping around, throughout the camp, and telling everyone I could find that, “God said ‘Don’”!]

Not even half-a-beat later I realized that God does know my name. He knows everyone by name. He told us that, many times, including:

But now, thus says the LORD…
            “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
            I have called you by name; you are Mine! – Isaiah 43:1

“To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.” – John 10:3

If He, who is the highest authority in my largest world, knows me by my name, what does that mean to me now? The sense of belonging and purpose that I felt as a junior in high school, because my principal knew my name, carries so much more when we’re talking about “my largest world” being the kingdom of God. I matter to Him? I matter to His kingdom? I matter to… you? THAT… is a sense of purpose!

So, this means to me now that I’ve got a job to do – to serve the honor given to me as part of His world. I have a responsibility to Him, and to you. I should relish in serving both of you, before myself. I should walk like He did. When others see me, they should see Him instead. He should be glorified in everything that I do.

I’m no priest, I am Don. And He knows that.