Name Change! Lean into the Name God Has for You

“The Lord is with you, valiant warrior.” —Judges 6:12

When you read this, you probably would imagine an angel of the Lord exclaiming this to a bold man bedecked in armor standing on the edge of the battlefield, sword and shield ready to go into battle.

You might imagine a praying grandma in her prayer closet, head bowed and eyes closed as she prays for everyone and everything around her (and I bet this imagery right here brought up at least one woman in your life who does this!).

You might imagine a young man gearing up for the big football game, buzzing with the energy of Friday night lights and a cheering crowd and a formidable-looking opponent team.

You might imagine anything, really, other than a young Israelite named Gideon harvesting wheat in a winepress.

Gideon was not valiant. Gideon was not a warrior. Gideon was the youngest son in his father’s family, the weakest of all the families in the tribe of Manasseh.

Gideon was harvesting wheat in a place underground meant to press wine because he was hiding from the enemy Midianites, who plundered everything in sight.

Yet when the angel of the Lord showed up, he did not call Gideon by his name. Nor by any of the characteristics that defined Gideon at that time: scared, retreating, avoidant, weak, lowest of the lowest.

God saw Gideon—and the plans He had for him—and said, “The Lord is with you, valiant warrior . . . Go in the strength you have and deliver Israel from the grasp of Midian. I am sending you!” (Judges 6:12,14).

“He said to him, ‘Please, Lord, how can I deliver Israel? Look, my family is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the youngest in my father’s family.” —Judges 6:15

I relate heavily with Gideon’s response.

When called a valiant warrior, Gideon instead rejected God’s name for him. He explained—to the face of the angel of God—how his family genetics defined his weakness. Defined his character. Defined Gideon himself.

Have you ever had an insecurity that hindered you from being the woman God has called you to be?

I’ll go first:

I remember freshman year of high school, my band director called me into his office one day. I thought I was in trouble, but my trepidation quickly melted away in the face of surprise at what he asked me.

“Have you thought about trying out for drum major next year?”

“No, sir, I haven’t.”

That’s what my mouth said. But my heart was stammering: “Look, I’ve only been a band officer for one year. I am the youngest person to try out, and I would be the youngest drum major ever as a sophomore. I don’t have a backbone. I don’t have a chance.”

“I want you to think about it, please,” my director said. “Because I want you to be our drum major next year.”

I left his office still in shock. Later that afternoon, while waiting around for softball practice to start, I grabbed my Bible from my sports bag. I prayed out to God to give me direction. And this name popped up in my mind:

Gideon.

And upon turning to Judges and reading Gideon, God revealed to me the parallels between his story and mine. How we both were found in places lower than more qualified, older candidates. How we both doubted that we could be what God wanted us to be: leaders.

The path God made clear to me that day was this: I was to try out for drum major.

And for the next 3 years of high school, I was. In hindsight, I cannot imagine my high school years without the Friday night lights spent leading the band in songs and performances. That leadership experience was imperative to me gaining confidence stepping in front of other people. It was significant to defining my philosophy of servant leadership. It was crucial to unlocking the experiences and opportunities I would receive in college because of my leadership experience in high school.

God did not look at me on that one spring afternoon and see a quiet, insecure, unconfident young woman.

He saw a servant leader crafted in His image.

He saw a young woman whom He loved and for whom He had grandiose, significant plans.

He saw a daughter whom He would use to reach other daughters through a ministry He would give her.

Despite what I saw in myself, I am glad He saw someone else in me!

“‘But I will be with you,’ the Lord said to him. ‘You will strike Midian down as if it were one man.’” —Judges 6:16

The story of Gideon is one of my favorites in the Bible. From Judges 6:16 when God reveals Gideon’s future, God directs him in leading Israel as one of their judges. He destroyed the idols the Israelites had disloyally adopted. He listened to God as God reduced the Israelite army from 22,000 men to 300. He obeyed God when he spied on the Midianite camp and overheard a dream one of the enemy soldiers received from God about the Israelites defeating the Midianites. He led the 300-men army in storming and conquering a camp with no swords whatsoever—just resounding lambs’ horns, shattered pitchers, and flaming torches.

God defeated an army as sizable as a swarm of locusts with a 300-men army, horns, pitchers, and torches.

Friend, our God is limitless in His power, might, and capabilities!

This is what the Holy Spirit enlightened me of when I sat on that softball field reading this story. He said, “If God can defeat a huge army with nothing more than 300 men with 300 horns, torches, and pitchers, then He can help you lead a 30-member band.”

And so He did. God was with me throughout my drum major career, as well as throughout every experience before and since then.

Daughter of God, I don’t know what the names are that you call yourself in the middle of the night when you’re lying awake in bed.

I don’t know the stories you believe about yourself when you look in the mirror and see your reflection.

I don’t know the excuses you think of when someone compliments you to counteract what they see in you.

But I do know this:

God calls us as He sees us—not as we see ourselves.

Hallelujah!

He saw old man Abram and envisioned Abraham: the father of descendants as innumerable as the sand on the shore.

He saw old woman Sarai and envisioned Sarah: the mother of descendants as innumerable as the sand on the shore.

He saw wily Jacob and envisioned Israel: the father of His people and His nation.

He saw an Egyptian-raised boy hidden in the wilderness and envisioned Moses: leader of Israel and its spokesperson in Pharaoh’s court.

He saw a young, scared Israelite boy and envisioned Gideon: leader of Israel and a 300-men army to defeat the Midianites.

He saw a quiet, insecure little girl and envisioned Kaylee: a woman after His own heart with a desire to speak to the masses of His daughters.

Do not let the names you call yourself, the stories you believe about yourself, or the excuses you use to counteract people’s compliments distract you from the names that God Himself uses for you.

For you are His creation.

His daughter.

His beloved.

Redeemed.

Saved.

Co-heir with Jesus.

Righteous.

Clean.

Pure.

Held.

Called to His ministry.

His cherished woman.

Do not let the lies of the enemy feed you names that you are not called by. Do not believe them!

You are to be exactly who the Lord called you to be, daughter of God.

“The Lord is with you, valiant warrior.”