What’s In A Name?

Matthew 19:21(NIV) 

“Jesus answered, ‘If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”  

Luke 9:3 (NIV) 

“He told them: ‘Take nothing for the journey—no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra shirt.”

Matthew 16:24(NIV) 

“Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.”  

This week I am going to look at names that mean something to me. 

I am known as Frank, but I was baptised Francis. When I was a young boy, I thought Francis was a wimpish name, so I changed it when I started secondary school: I told everyone it was Frank. Now I am not sure that was a good move – ‘Frank’ always seems to be the bad guy or a misfit in films! 

A couple of years ago, Larry and I went on a pilgrimage to Assisi. We learnt very quickly that St Francis was far from being a wimp! He started out as a soldier but was captured – spent a year in prison and suffered a long period of fever. He founded a monastic order that fully embraced the three vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. The three verses from scripture above were key for Francis in the way he led his life. In the present day, we don’t see very many following his example. Personally I can only think of Mother Teresa and Jackie Pullinger! 

But what do these verses mean for us? Here are a couple of thoughts. We would love to be perfect but only God is perfect – God gives his gifts to us even though we are far from perfect - and we are called to apply this generosity in our attitude to others. I find it easy to be loving and generous to nice people but tend to avoid engaging with those I find difficult.  

Second thought: I love gadgets and tools and can easily justify to myself buying yet another new bit of kit; I’m sure you can think of your own equivalent! We may not be called to give up all our material goods- we do need things to live and work, but we are still called to be good stewards of our money, homes and possessions. 

Prayer — Dear Lord thank you for being a generous father: help us to be good stewards of all you give us. Also help us to get closer to you, listening to your voice through prayer, scripture so that we are able to love others as you love us.