Do you ever wish you knew somebody famous so you could name-drop? When others do it, it would be so satisfying to drop a name of someone more important than the one they used. The best I can ever do is to say I had breakfast with Ronald Reagan. It sounds so cool when I say it like that. But the truth is there were two hundred other people in the room and I never even got to shake his hand. Once I was about four feet away from Pope Paul VI. But that really doesn’t count because he never even looked at me as he walked by in St. Peter’s Cathedral. It was Epiphany Day.
So I sit quietly when others speak of their important connections. But wait. I do have one! And it tops them all. Jesus is my friend. Yes that’s right. Ever since I have been a little boy I have sung the song, “What a Friend We Have in Jesus.” I realize the title uses the word “we”. However, sometimes I sing it with an “I” instead of a “we”. It makes it so much more meaningful. This will also work for you. The next time you’re in church and they sing this song change the pronoun.
Talk about name-dropping. This is the ultimate. What adds to this is Jesus drops our name! Yes He does. In Hebrews 2 He calls us his friends and family. He goes so much further than calling us friends. We are His family and co-heirs in the wonder that He is. See Romans 8 and Galatians 4. In Revelation 3 He even tells us someday we will sit with Him on His throne. When we understand this wonder it sort of makes human name-dropping seem silly.
Written by Roger Bothwell on March 16, 2009
Spring of Life Ministry, PO Box 124, St. Helena, CA 94574
rogerbothwell.org