“Seek God’s Counsel To Name The Baby!”

“Seek God’s Counsel To Name The Baby!”
When I was pastoring in Dschang a young couple came to me to register for the baptism of their new born baby. When I asked the baby’s name, they told me “Clercy.” I was hearing this name for the first time. When I enquired further to know the meaning they told me it was a combination of their own names, Clement and Mercy.
I imagined how one day somebody would just fall in love with the name Clercy and decide to name their own baby Clercy. I know of Adolice standing for Adolf and Alice. Pacomic for Paul, Cosmos and Michael.
You may ask, “What’s in a name?” In this triangle names determine promotions and appointments. Names like Mbarga and Atangana merit high status than Mbenga and Atanga. There is something in a name!
It has been noted that names have an impact on the bearers. In most parts of Africa nobody wants to name a child after a wicked or an evil person for fear that the child may become a replica of the said person.
By the way, who is the person who names your baby? What motivates you to give the name you give to a child? Africans are so brainwashed that they sometimes ignore good Christian names like, Kongnyuy, Abimnwi, Berinyuy, Akonnwi, Nkahnyikob, Nyuyki, etc and take on western people’s family names or some lawbreaking names that have no meaning to the family or community.
In African communities there are specialist elders who have a repertoire of names. When a baby is born, they give a name that reflects either the circumstance of birth, a family upheaval or renaming a death relative etc. Names have meanings and there’s a reason for any name.
The name you give to a child is a reflection of yout relationship with family, relatives and community, or it is a reflection of your outlook on life. Sometimes out of ignorance one gives a name that later on becomes a curse to the child.
What name are you going to give the child? A child is a gift of God, so the name of the child must reflect your appreciation of God’s gift to you.
We are told that when it was the eight day on which a male child was circumcised, the baby “was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he had been conceived”(Lk. 2:21). This goes to confirm what God told Jeremiah, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart, I appointed you…”(1:5).
The name Jesus is the Greek equivalent of Joshua – God saves. It is not different from Immanuel – God with us. God saves us because he is with us. He is with us so as to save us!
God is in our midst and he is in our midst to save us!
Remain hopeful because God has made his dwelling with men!
Reflect well before you name the child!
Have a blessed weekend! Peace be with you!