What is Your Name?

In the beginning of Luke chapter ten, Jesus is sending out disciples ahead of Him to help prepare the way. He gives them instructions through about verse sixteen, and then in verse seventeen, we see them return. They are joyous because even the demons are subject to them in the name of Christ. On a side note, this is a good reminder to us that we need to do all in the name of the Lord. Jesus had truly given them some awesome powers to do some incredible things. Even with those abilities, Jesus says they should not rejoice in these powers but in that their names were recorded in heaven.

I get the disciples. It is pretty cool to think that with the Lord’s power I could cast out demons or not be harmed by poisonous creatures. In other places we would see them heal the sick or raise the dead. I think that could be a rewarding work. You see a change, and people pat you on the back. Good times. I think that might be part of the problem Jesus is dealing with. I do not think Jesus is condemning their joy but challenging them to find their joy in things that are eternal or lasting. It can be easy to get distracted by the here and now and miss the eternal. It is rewarding to see change in the here and now, but what happened to those cured of sickness or death? They got sick again or died. The change we see is only temporary. The here and now or temporary has an allurement, but it cannot take the place of the eternal. That is a daily struggle for me and probably for you.

How do we overcome this? Enjoy the temporary. God has blessed us with some wonderful things on this earth like friends and family, food to eat, and beauty to see. Always remember that these earthly things do not last. Do not put your hope, trust, or dreams in them but in God. Value the things of God the most. Do you rejoice because your name is written down here somewhere or in heaven?