The Name of True Consequence

Welcome back, friend. 

Many years ago, I was struggling with God. I had walked away from being a pastor and I was in a time of great confusion and a real identity crisis. I was forced to come to grips with some very tough questions: 

1. Grant, who are you without your human title?

2. Grant, where do you find your real significance?

3. Grant, who is the guy who stares back at you in the mirror?

4. Grant, is this “life thing” all about you or all about God?

5. Grant, does God really know your name?

 I was broken and crushed because all of the answers that came back were filled with pride, arrogance, and that status-seeking stuff that can make your head swell and your heart collapse.

I spent that summer working as a “subterranean residential refortification specialist,” which meant that I crawled under houses and replaced rotten joists and beams. 

I made several amazing discoveries that summer: 1) I’m not afraid of spiders, 2) There is something incredibly holy about good hard work, and 3) God spends a lot of time under houses with people who have lost their names and themselves.

I waged a war under those houses for my very identity and I came out of that summer with one undeniable conclusion:

THE ONLY NAME OF TRUE CONSEQUENCE IS THE ONE ASSIGNED BY GOD.

I found out that God loves me regardless of my name, my title, or my past. He just loves me! Whether I worked in the church or under the church, He just loves me! 

Stripped of external titles and societal expectations, I confronted fundamental questions about my identity and significance. I realized that my worth was not defined by my job, my social standing, or even my chosen role, but by God’s unconditional love!

friend, this realization is liberating. In a world that constantly seeks to define us by our achievements, our possessions, and our relationships, the truth that our ultimate identity comes from God offers a secure and unwavering foundation. Whether we are working in a place of prominence or in a seemingly unseen role, God’s love for us remains constant. 

The transformation I experienced was not a change of my given name, but a profound inner shift. I came to understand that despite my failures and imperfections, God saw ME as:

HIS CHILD

DEARLY LOVED

WORTH DYING FOR, and

ADOPTED KID OF THE KING.

This is the name of true consequence, the identity given to us by our Heavenly Father through his love and sacrifice.

My friend, take time to meditate on these names that God has given you. Focus on the truth that you are deeply loved, that your worth is immeasurable in God’s eyes, and that you are part of his royal family through adoption. Let go of the need for external validation and find your security in who God says you are!

Let’s pray.

Heavenly Father, thank you for revealing to us the names of true consequence — the ones you have lovingly assigned to us. Thank you for your unconditional love that transcends our failures and imperfections. Help us to live in the reality of being your dearly loved child, knowing our worth is found in you alone. Strengthen us to embrace this divine identity above all earthly labels, and thank you for this amazing truth: "See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!" (1 John 3:1, NIV)  Amen.

Never forget, friend… You are a miracle!