Reflections: What's in a name?

Since Jen and I are expecting in July, we have been working on a lot of little projects around the house to try to get ready.  Tonight we worked on a bookshelf of my notes.  I had all my notes from college.  All of them.  Every class.  Every internship.  Every syllabus.  All the professors handouts, and all of my personal notes.  Thinking about it, I'm amazed myself that I was so organized.  That just doesn't usually fit me at all, but there it was: the entire bookshelf.  And 95% of it was useless.  I didn't even remember the names of most of  those classes, more or less the specific content.  And there were lots of names.  so we threw a lot out.  Turns out the only things I really wanted to keep were from an internship right before college called Master's Commission, and stuff having to do with music.  None of the other names meant much to me.  They were so far removed from the actual doing of ministry or so outdated that what application they once had was as vague as the names on the outsides of the binders.  It made me think about names.  Is my name all there is to who I am?  Of course not.  There are millions of guys named Dave out there.  But what about the name God has for me?  Does he have a different name for me that makes me unique?  Like Simon who was renamed Peter, or Saul was renamed Paul, is there a defining moment yet to come in my life where a specific characteristic within me becomes the center of my being?  What power is there in a name?

At this point I started to get bogged down in philosophy, which always bothers me.  I crave practical application.  It's just part of how a do life.  So I stopped to pray.  As I was praying and thinking about this whole matter, I realized that the name I use to post this blog touches on the defining characteristic I want to be the center of my identity. Then I realized: that was a reference that most people don't get.  Probably because I never explained it, and it's shorthand in order to get the name.  Phil2158 is short for Philippians Chapter 2, verses 1-8, with an emphasis on verse 5.  (I know, clear as mud.  I'm working on it.)  Those verses specifically sum up the attitude of Jesus, and how we are expected to respond to his example.  Here they are.

¹ Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, ² then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. ³ Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, ⁴ not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

 ⁵ In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

 ⁶ Who, being in very nature God,
   did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
⁷ rather, he made himself nothing
   by taking the very nature of a servant,
   being made in human likeness.
⁸ And being found in appearance as a man,
   he humbled himself
   by becoming obedient to death—
      even death on a cross!

The realization that my intent wasn't communicated by "Phil2158" meant it was time for a name change.  This blog is by me, so the address is davejaquay.blogspot.com now.  And the title of the blog is now, as you can see, Living Philippians 2.  I think it's closer to the heart of the journey of personal growth that God is leading me down right now.  A big part of that journey is the pursuit of humble obedience to God's purpose for my life.  

Lord, please teach me humility.  And may your teaching lead me to the ministry you want me to be in.