The society that we are in can be a tricky one. Everywhere we go and everywhere we turn, there’s always something or someone telling us what we should and ought to be. We watch the television, read the newspaper, check out yahoo from time to time, and there right before us are stories of people who have been successful. There before us are ideal scenarios- that you’ll only be happy if you have this, or that, or move interstate, overseas, or whatever you want to place in the blank that says, you’ll only be happy if you have _____.
Usually people strive to obtain whatever it is they feel like they are missing, and more often than not, they come to believe that they are less than loved, less than appreciated, or even less than accepted if they don’t accomplish what they believe they need to. Labels are placed upon them, whether by themselves, or others, that what their situation is right now is all they’ll ever be. The standards of the tabloids, newspapers, gossip columns and magazines are screaming out to people each and every day, letting them know of who they are- desperate, lonely, hurting, and that to fix the hurt and ache, all they need to do is obtain the status that has been tugging at them for so long as they look at the picture with the lofty standards we know we’ll never reach if we try to obtain it without God’s strength.
Everyone has a story, and everyone identifies themselves in relation to the story or time they are in. So when people seemingly feel like their striving isn’t amounting to what they want to achieve, they start to feel like the names that have been spoken over them, that they’re not good enough, and that they aren’t worthy of what they want to achieve, is who they really are instead. And this feeling is not compounded to only a few, every person in the world feels like a label is placed over them at one point in their lives or another, whether they want the name or not.
Matthew West’s song ‘Hello My Name Is’ from his most recent album Into the Light tries to let us know (and hopefully does remind us) that what we’ve done or haven’t done, the status we try so desperately to earn, the failures we face and the trials we triumph over, none of these things identify us. With an earnest plea and a fervently enthusiastic voice, ‘Hello My Name Is’ is a cry of exultation as we ignore the whispers of the enemy and introduce ourselves as- ‘…hello my name is child of the one true king…’! With a heavy guitar, ‘Hello My Name Is’ ought to be the identity builder that it is, and a great reminder of who we are in Christ.
Who we are is brothers and sisters in Christ. Who we are is heirs to the throne and kingdom of Heaven. Who we are is unconditionally loved by our family, friends and ultimately God. Who we are is not defined by how well we strive for the opportunities that are in front of us, or even how much we love others. Who we are is simple- that while we were still sinners, Christ died so that we could live. The video below, showing both the live video and the story behind the song, is a testament that whatever stronghold and label that has been shackled upon us can be unbound with the perfect love of Christ that casts out everything that is not of Him.
Ending the post with a quote by Matthew himself- ‘…I hope you know, and I hope you believe, that no matter what lies have been written on your name tag, God’s love is powerful enough to erase it and replace it with our true identity- hello my name is child of the One True King…’, the live version of ‘Hello My Name Is’ is shown below. Check out the video, and share in the comments on how ‘Hello My Name Is’ has helped you in knowing that our identity is in Christ Jesus our Lord.