“You will be called by a new name that the mouth of the Lord will bestow” (Isaiah 62:2).
Did you know? The name “Kyle” peaked in popularity in the U.S. in 1990 as the 18th most popular boy name. Just this past year, it dropped to 393rd.
But that didn’t stop one city near Austin, TX from going for a new Guinness world record: the largest same-name gathering.
The city of Kyle, TX invited “tall Kyles, short Kyles, young Kyles and old Kyles” to a Kyle Fair. You know, music, vendors, food, and lots of Kyles. Some of them wearing T-shirts “My Name is Kyle” and “I’m With Kyle.”
After all the hoopla and fun, they fell short of the record by about 500 Kyles. Their turnout of 1,800 was impressive, but not enough to beat the 2017 record set by 2,325 Ivans in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
How common is your name? I have a sort-of-common name with an uncommon spelling: Daron. I’ve encountered others with that exact name and spelling about, oh, 6 times in my life. I don’t think an attempted gathering of Darons would get close to breaking a world record.
Does that mean I’m a nobody? Does the failed record attempt in Kyle, TX mean that all these dudes don’t mean anything to anyone? Of course not.
But you and I live everyday with our identity under attack. We forget who we are. We replace the best version of ourselves (our God-given identity) with a false identity that we actually believe is “the real me” or “the new me” or “I now identify as” me.
These fake identities are tricky. They might be common, even noble and seen as heroic, like “mom” or “nurse” or “teacher.” But these are not identities, they are roles. Still gifts from God, but not to be confused with who we are as a person.
So who are you? If you can’t answer that question with your name, your job title, or what your kids or grandkids call you, then what do you say? Try this:
“I am a perfectly made child of God, connected to Jesus. All. The. Time.”
That’s your God-given identity. You’re invited to gather with a bunch of other folks who share that identity, and to celebrate. It’s called church.
No need to pretend. And if you have a fake ID, bring it with you. There’s plenty of others who bring them, too. It may take a while, but these other children of God connected to Jesus will help you turn in that fake ID and return to the best version of yourself.
It’s okay to be real. No matter what your name is, what other people have called you, or what you see or don’t see in the mirror. Because God has made you. And he doesn’t make mistakes.
PRAYER: God, sometimes I forget who I am, and even replace myself with a fake ID. But you know me from eternity, and call me by name. You have perfectly made me, and connected me to Jesus. Remind me, help me remember, and realign me to be today who you made me to be. Amen.
EVANGELISM ACTION: Reach out to a friend who needs Jesus with this devotion. Especially if their name is Kyle.
