Devotional: The Names God Calls You

I listened to a devotional on Lectio 365 today, and it struck something deep in me. It was a beautiful meditation on the moment when Simon met Jesus for the first time—and Jesus gave him a new name: Peter. When translated, it means "the rock." Jesus gave him that name because He knew Peter would become the leader of the first Christian church. He saw who Peter would become, not just who he was in that moment.

The story resonated with me because we are named by people all throughout our lives.

Maybe not with an official given name, but with the names we're called. The labels we're assigned. The identities that are projected onto us.

You've been called overly sensitive.

You've been called weak.

You've been called difficult, dramatic, too much, not enough.

Your values have been questioned. Your perceptions have been dismissed. Even your own reality has been denied by toxic people in your life. And those names? They stick. They echo in your mind long after the person who said them is gone. They shape how you see yourself, how you move through the world, whether you believe you're worthy of love, respect, or peace.

But here's what I want you to remember today:

The names toxic people call you are not the truth about who you are.

The names Jesus calls you are.

What Jesus Calls You

"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

"For we are God's masterpiece, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."— Ephesians 2:10

"You are precious and honored in my sight, and I love you."— Isaiah 43:4

Beloved. Masterpiece. Precious. Chosen. Known. Seen. Loved.

These are the names given to you by the One who knows everything about you.

He was with you while you were being knit together in your mother's womb, and He's with you right now. He sees you. He knows you—the real you, beneath all the labels and lies. And He loves you. Not despite who you are, but because of who you are.

Your Challenge Today

Think through the names that Jesus calls you.

Not the names you've been called by people who hurt you.Not the labels you've internalized from toxic relationships.Not the identity you've adopted to survive.

The names Jesus speaks over you.

Sit with that for a moment. Let it sink in.

The God who created mountains and seas, who set the stars in place and commands the waves—that same God knows every hair on your head. He calls you by name. And His name for you is not "too much" or "not enough." It's beloved. It's chosen. It's His.

A Prayer

Dear Lord,

It amazes me that You have been with me since before I was born. It amazes me that You can create something as majestic as mountains and as powerful as the sea, and yet You still know every hair on my head. You see me. You know me. You love me.

Lord, I've been called things that make me question who I am. Names that make me feel small, broken, unworthy. I've internalized lies about myself that I don't even realize I'm believing.

I need to know from You how You see me.

Would You speak the truth over me today? Remind me of the names You call me—the ones that matter, the ones that are true. Help me release the labels that were never mine to carry.

I'm listening, Lord. I trust You. And I love You.

In Jesus' name,Amen.