What’s in a Name?

When you don’t know the name for something, things can get complicated. If my husband says, “Let’s go to that Italian restaurant we love,” I might picture Via Vite, the trendy Italian spot with an outdoor patio overlooking downtown. Brett might be referring to Nicola’s, the cozy restaurant with an enclosed outdoor courtyard covered in twisty vines and tiny fairy lights. We love both of these scrumptious spots, but they aren’t the same thing. By not using the name of “that Italian restaurant we love,” there could be confusion. I might meet my husband at the wrong spot or have false expectations of what our evening will look like or make a reservation at the wrong restaurant. Names are important.

God thinks so too. Back in the garden of Eden, God let the first man, Adam, name every single creature (Genesis 2:19-20). When Adam called the four-legged critter with a stripe running down its tail a skunk (or whatever the word was that he used for skunk), it was a skunk. From that day forward, if Adam or Eve saw a skunk, they could say, “Careful, there’s a skunk over there.” And they would both know what they meant. Because they also knew that when you scared the creature with the name “skunk,” it would cause a big stink.

Names are helpful for understanding who or what we’re talking about.

This holds true when naming our mental health issues.

My sister-in-law L.C. told me of a night she woke up feeling impending doom. “I felt dread, like I was going to die. I had chest pain, was nauseated, couldn’t catch my breath, and had a fear I’d never felt before. Rationally I could say, ‘I’m in bed in my home with my husband. The house is quiet.’ I could tell my reaction didn’t match my reality—which was terrifying. I didn’t know what to do and was completely paralyzed with overwhelming terror. I woke up my husband, but couldn’t find words to describe what was happening. I told him I might be having a heart attack.”

Later, L.C. was able to define what had happened as a panic attack. Having a name for what she’d experienced was priceless. The words panic attack enabled her to get more understanding and help from her doctor.

Naming our situations can be helpful, just like naming a sunburn or poison ivy helps us soothe our red, itchy arm. One you moisturize. One you dry out. If you don’t know the name of what you’re dealing with, you could actually make it worse. Knowing the name for a sunburn or a poison ivy rash gives you power—power to know what to do, how to handle things—both in the moment and in case your body should get that same uncomfortable, red sensation again. Similarly, naming our mental health struggles helps us know how to treat and respond to what’s happening in our minds and bodies. It can direct us to Bible passages that address certain issues, friends who have been through similar situations, and resources that discuss and provide solutions for our struggles. 

Keep in mind that naming a mental health struggle is not the same as naming ourselves. L.C. is not a panic attack. Just like if you have poison ivy, you aren’t poison ivy. You aren’t depression or anxiety or OCD or addiction or any other malady. You are still you. 

Even more important than knowing the name of our struggle is knowing our name—the name God Himself gives us.

You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy (1 Peter 2:9–10).

We are chosen by God—no matter what we’ve experienced or what we’re struggling with. God knows our thoughts and actions, and after seeing us at our best and worst says, “You over there with the scars on your wrists. You with the secret you don’t want anyone to know. I choose you. I want you to be with me always.”

We are royal. Maybe not with flowing robes and people obeying our orders, but worthy of the beauty and riches God offers—not gold and jewels, but life and love everlasting, healing and wholeness that are priceless.

We are holy. Yes, even despite everything we’ve been exposed to or attempted or been addicted to. When Jesus died on the cross, He took all our sins. And He didn’t just clear our slates; He elevated our status beyond what we could ever deserve. 

We are God’s special possessions. Think of your favorite possession—a family heirloom, a letter from someone you love, your most expensive piece of jewelry. Where do you keep it? How do you treat it? How much value do you put on it? That’s how God sees you. Priceless.

You are a child of God. You have received Christ’s mercy. Nothing can change that—not a relapse or an attack or a trigger or an episode. You will always be God’s beloved child. His mercy is available to you forever.

This is the truth of who you are. This is your real name. Child of God.

Names matter.

When we don’t have a name for a mental health struggle we’re battling, it’s so much harder to know how to handle it. With names for our issues and ailments, we can seek help, gather the correct tools, start the healing process, continue to grow, and move forward. And when we understand our names, our true names—Chosen, Royal, Holy, Special, Child of God—it changes everything.

 
–Taken from Holy Care for the Whole Self: Biblical Wisdom for Mental and Spiritual Well-Being by Laura L. Smith. Used by permission of Our Daily Bread Publishing®, Grand Rapids, MI. All rights reserved. Further distribution is prohibited without written permission from Our Daily Bread Publishing® at permissionsdept@odb.org

Meet Laura:

Bestselling author and speaker Laura L. Smith tears down lies, so we can live in truth. She loves Jesus, her prince charming of a husband and their four kids, music, a good book, almond milk mochas, dark chocolate, and travel. She’s also a huge fan of getting counseling.

Laura lives in the picturesque college town of Oxford, Ohio, where you’ll find her running the wooded trails, strolling the brick streets, teaching Bible study at her local church, shopping at the Saturday morning farmer’s market, or going on a sunset walk with her family. Visit her website at: www.laurasmithauthor.com or find her on Instagram @laurasmithauthor.