The other night, a friend and I were discussing names and their meanings. Curious, I looked up the meaning of my own name.

Courtney meaning and name origin: It is of Old French origin, and the meaning of Courtney is "domain of Curtius". Transferred use of the surname, originally a place name from France called Courtenay, which is from a Latin personal name meaning "short", so people have associated the name with "court nez" meaning "short nose".

Short nose. Really??? Perhaps it was prophetic, my nose is kind of small. If only my parents had named me something that meant: tall, naturally thin, and elegant… I digress.

As friends have married and started families, I have occasionally been privy to conversations about what they were planning to name their children and the pressure they’ve often felt around making the right choice. It’s a big deal. Future generations are stuck with the outcome of these decisions!

God also takes naming His children seriously. Scripture has many examples of this. Him giving names that symbolize His purpose for them and sometimes changing their names as He unfolds more of the story. One instance of this comes in the book of Genesis God changes the name of Jacob. After wrestling all night with God. God’s new name for him is Israel which means “one who fights with God”.

I too have experienced seasons where I have wanted to go toe-to-toe with God about all sorts of things. Desires, confusion, and deep fear that I had been forgotten. Perhaps that is also true for you?

We can go through life, believing that we are not enough, too much, etc... we label ourselves with names that are not of God and that He never gave us in the first place. Just like Jacob we all have a past marked with regret, shame, and failure. Unfortunately, we can’t go back and change it. We simply must go forward in the hope of the Lord.

Recently, I have begun to pray and ask God to strip away the names that I have knowingly or unknowingly given to myself. My expectant Hope is that He will reveal a new name. A name that is marked with the fruits of the spirit and just like Jacob, He is fighting for me and He is fighting for you too.

"24 And Jacob was left alone. And a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day. 25 When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he touched his hip socket, and Jacob's hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. 26 Then he said, “Let me go, for the day has broken.” But Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” 27 And he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.” 28 Then he said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed.” 29 Then Jacob asked him, “Please tell me your name.” But he said, “Why is it that you ask my name?” And there he blessed him. 30 So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel, saying, “For I have seen God face to face, and yet my life has been delivered.”