Memorial
In the midst of name after name after name after name in the book of 1 Chronicles, a memorial stands out to a man who stood above the crowd. His name was Jabez. There are only 2 verses written about him in the Bible, but there is enough to speak volumes.
His very name in the Hebrew means “pain, or intense sorrw.” His mother named him that because she bore him in pain. We don’t know what kind of pain. It could have been financial difficulty, his father may have died in battle before he was born, he may have been a child of rape. We do not know, but we know that his entire life at the very mention of his name he would forever be reminded of the sorrow that surrounded his birth.
What a rough start. Many people when they get a bad rap will just decide to just go with it and go off the deep end. You’ve heard it before. “If they think I’m nothing but trouble, I will show them trouble.” “If everyone thinks I’m a slut, I might as well act like one.” “If that’s what everyone thinks of me, I’ll just show them…” But not Jabez. He decided to rise above the name and label that had been on him since birth. And the memorial to him found in 1 Chronicles 4:9-10 says “he was more honorable than his brothers.”
And he got there by turning to God. You can overcome your label too. You don’t have to live up to the reputation, the nickname, the family dysfunction, the shame, the guilt. You can rise above your circumstances. Just call out to God and He will give you a new name!
