Bear His Name

16 However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name.

1 Peter 4:16

I grew up hating my last name. Kids at my primary school would tease me because it was Italian. My nickname in some circles is a remnant of those days. It went from Canosa, to Cabanossi to Cabo.

As I got older, I started to really warm to my name. It has a rich history. There is a whole region in Italy that shares my name. Including a castle and an ancient road that was once famous for a humiliation of a Pope.

Peter wants to remind a bunch of Christians, that even if people make fun of their name. No, not their first and last name, but that they are called Christian. They should praise God that they get to bear it.

Canosa doesn’t mean too much in reality. It’s not like I get any ownership or privileges. But the name Christian means so very much. It means that Jesus is my Lord. And as we’ve seen along the way, that means I’m on the winning side.

We need to remember when bearing the name of Christ feels like a burden, that it’s a privilege. Because what it means is that you are a child of God and a citizen of his kingdom. It means that you have a King who was willing to die for you. That’s how special you are.

So if you are feeling the burden of bearing Christ’s name, remember the privilege.

Today:

• Have you ever felt ashamed for being a Christian? When/how?
• What’s one privilege that comes to mind for bearing Christ’s name?
• Praise God today that he allows you to share in Christ’s name.

Pray:

• Praise the Father for adopting us into his family.
• Give thanks for Jesus who allows us to share in his name.
• Ask God for His Holy Spirit to help you and others praise his name today.