Made 2018
This weekend, I got the opportunity to attend Southlands “Made” women’s conference and listen to amazing speakers like Rebecca Webber,Lysa TerKeurst, Annie F. Downs, and Jackie Hill Perry. But I would like to specifically share the truth Annie F Downs shared to me, she taught me the significance of a name. In Matthew & Luke 1 , an angel greeted Mary and Joseph to inform them they were to have a baby named Jesus. If we dig a little deeper we see that the name Jesus means “the lord saves”, going deeper we find that God identifies us with these names that also give us a purpose and MAN did Jesus live out his name. As he grew, Jesus began to change peoples names like Simon Peter in Matthew 16:13-16. You see, when Simon identifies Jesus as the messiah, the son of the living god... this is the moment Jesus identifies Simon as Peter for the first time, he is the rock which he will build his church. The significance of this is the name Peter belonged to no one other than Simon Peter, Gods given purpose was identified and designed for him in that moment.
Jumping over to the book of John, we see John refers to himself as “the disciple who Jesus loved” and John didn’t make this up y’all. This was his identity in Christ, just think Jesus had to tell John this all the time, just as he made Simon - Peter he made John- the one he loved, as well as he made Mary Magdalene - His Daughter in John 20:10.
——--
So, I began to do some digging to find the meaning of my name and why god made that my purpose.
Madylin actually is a variation of the name Magdalene, Mary Magdalene, one of Jesus’s followers. Mary Magdalene was the epitome of redemption in the Bible, from being seen as the lowest of the lows to knowing the greatest love there is to know. Mary was with Jesus til the end, witnessing the crucifixion and resurrection. As well, the name Magdalene actually derives from the Greek word for “high tower”. Once I read this, Matthew 5:14-16 immediately was etched into my mind. It reads , “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”
In this moment I knew, I had found my identity, my purpose for my name.
————--
We were given a challenge to find this identity, this purpose, what we were MADE for this weekend and to finally complete our made statement; “he made me ___, so I can____.”. In this moment I immediately had an understanding that he designed me to be fearfully and wonderfully made, he made me BOLD, a high tower, a city on a hill, so that I may GLORIFY HIM.
I pray this week, I can fully and truthfully live out my name and that you may as well.
Jumping over to the book of John, we see John refers to himself as “the disciple who Jesus loved” and John didn’t make this up y’all. This was his identity in Christ, just think Jesus had to tell John this all the time, just as he made Simon - Peter he made John- the one he loved, as well as he made Mary Magdalene - His Daughter in John 20:10.
——--
So, I began to do some digging to find the meaning of my name and why god made that my purpose.
Madylin actually is a variation of the name Magdalene, Mary Magdalene, one of Jesus’s followers. Mary Magdalene was the epitome of redemption in the Bible, from being seen as the lowest of the lows to knowing the greatest love there is to know. Mary was with Jesus til the end, witnessing the crucifixion and resurrection. As well, the name Magdalene actually derives from the Greek word for “high tower”. Once I read this, Matthew 5:14-16 immediately was etched into my mind. It reads , “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”
In this moment I knew, I had found my identity, my purpose for my name.
————--
We were given a challenge to find this identity, this purpose, what we were MADE for this weekend and to finally complete our made statement; “he made me ___, so I can____.”. In this moment I immediately had an understanding that he designed me to be fearfully and wonderfully made, he made me BOLD, a high tower, a city on a hill, so that I may GLORIFY HIM.
I pray this week, I can fully and truthfully live out my name and that you may as well.