To encourage me to assimilate as a first generation Mexican American, my parents rarely spoke Spanish in our home and used the English version of my middle name for my school registration. Weary of struggling to belong, I applied for a state identification card when I turned eighteen. I wanted to use my first name, Xochitl, and explore the beautiful culture I’d left behind.

A decade later, I ordered a copy of my birth certificate. I called my mom in a panic when the document arrived. “They spelled my name wrong!”

“No. You did,” she said, referring to when I applied for the state identification card. “I just thought you were being creative.”

Though we don’t put much weight on names today, in biblical times names helped establish one’s character, inheritance, and identity.

The apostle John introduced Jesus as “the Word,” stating that all who believe in His name would be given the right to become “children of God” (John 1:1,12). As the Good Shepherd, Jesus calls “his own sheep by name” (10:3), affirming an intimate relationship with Him.

God intentionally designed the various aspects of our uniqueness—ethnicity, race, and personality. But as children of God, our citizenship is established in heaven (Philippians 3:20), and we don’t need to assimilate or search for belonging. We inherit every promise secured in Christ, whose name is above all names (2:9). 

Xochitl Dixon, Our Daily Bread author

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