What's in a name?
‘Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me.’ Have you ever heard this phrase before? I remember first coming across it, way back, in my primary school playground.
Some children were picking on another pupil, calling them names, the teacher on duty told them off, then turned to the one who was being verbally attacked and said this phrase to them.
The implication being, a physical attack may well injure you, but a verbal attack can’t. Or to put it another way, don’t worry about what people say to you, as that won’t hurt you.
The reality is that it is not true! Of course, you will be injured if physically beaten. However, harmful words said to someone is very real and very painful. Its damage is done on the inside.
With love, care and support, healing can come, but it’s not a quick fix! I say this, as recently I read a few verses in the Bible about a man called Jabez…
“Jabez was more honourable than his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez, saying, ‘I gave birth to him in pain.’ Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, ‘Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.’ And God granted his request.”
Jabez sounds like the word ‘pain’ in Hebrew, not a great name choice by his mother! It must have been horrible for Jabez! Just think what he went through when saying who he was, or hearing his name being called out. Would he have been picked on or laughed at when growing up?
The Bible does not tell us much about Jabez. We can see here, that his name did affect him, as he cried out to God to be ‘free from pain’.
I’m not surprised! Despite his pain, there was something about him, that was honourable, and Jabez asked God to be free from the pain and to be blessed. God did just that, how wonderful!
What this story shows me is this: Jabez did not choose his name, which brought pain into his life. In his distress he turned to God and asked him to remove the pain and to exchange it for blessing and enlargement. God answered and turned things around.
You may have been affected by something beyond your control, or you may be in a situation not of your own choosing. This has left you in pain, helpless, broken or lost.
There is hope! Those things which have affected you, can be dealt with by the same God who helped Jabez. Let me encourage you to be like Jabez, and to call out to God for help…
God bless
Gary Bastin - Hope Community Church leader