What’s in a name? All names have meanings some positive and some negative. For example consider the name Scott, it means wanderer or painted warrior. However, there are names that carry with them quite a negative meaning. Here are the top three names for boys that have negative meanings. Byron: barn for cows. Calvin: one who’s bald. Jacob: one who deceives. The top three names for girls that have negative meanings. Cecilia: one who is blind. Portia: the pig. Claudia: one who is lame. The belief was that your name would also determine your character. A lot of people subconsciously predict career success based on a name, according to James Bruning, Ph.D., a psychology professor at Ohio University in Athens. In his study, participants forecasted that girls with feminine names like Emma and Winifred would be more successful if they pursued traditionally female occupations like nurse and hairstylist, while boys with names like Boris and Bruno were expected to succeed in traditionally male careers, such as plumber and truck driver. Our culture does not give careful consideration to the meanings of names but the ancient Hebrew culture viewed it as being extremely significant. In fact, your name would often determine how you were viewed by the culture. As we turn to our text, we meet a man by the name of Jabez whose name undoubtedly caused others to look down on him. Perhaps, the stigma of his name proved to be quite the hindrance. It’s quite possible that his name even proved to be a disability. All we know about Jabez is found in these brief two verses in 1 Chronicles. Though the information about him is sketchy, his name speaks volumes. Although we don’t find his name listed among those giants of the faith in Hebrews 11, he is a man of great faith. Jabez provides us with an excellent example of faith and determination. Today, we want to look at the power lessons we can learn from this virtually unknown character from the Old Testament.
I. Getting better acquainted with Jabez.
A. The significance of the name Jabez.
1. Jabez is not mentioned by the author in any of the genealogies of the residents of the town that bears the same name.
2. Theologically these two brief verses are very significant and we can learn some important insights from them.
3. The passage also hints at the fact the Jabez is of the tribe of Judah.
4. The name Jabez can mean either sorrow or pain.
5. Jabez’s mother named him this because of the great pain she endured during his birth.
B. A reputation that did not match the name.
1. Jabez is a very upstanding as an individual since he is viewed as being more honorable than any of his relatives.
2. A Jewish reader would have found it quite ironic that person named “pain or sorrow” would be the most honorable in the family.
3. This description is usually attached to a person who is upright before God as well as others.
4. The rest of this passage will reveal a man who walked by faith and had the determination to rise above his circumstances.
C. Jabez had great faith in God.
1. The writer does not label Jabez as a man with great faith but it is obvious by the way he approaches God in prayer.
2. Undoubtedly the writer is holding Jabez up as an example to be imitated by his readers.
3. We all have heard actions speak louder than words and it is obvious that Jabez’s great faith is revealed in his actions.
4. His faith is revealed in the fact that he called on the God of Israel to hear his prayer believing that He would answer it.
5. We probably should pause for a moment of application. Let’s ask ourselves three very probing questions.
a. What do you think others say about our faith?
b. Is our faith obvious in every area of our life?
c. Is our faith more visible in our words or in our actions?
II. Jabez’s very ambitious prayer.
A. The four things Jabez asks from God.
1. Jabez asked God to bless him.
a. Perhaps his desire was to be freed from the stigma attached to his name.
b. He asked God to turn around the circumstances of his life.
c. Jabez wanted more than simply settling for the status quo.
2. Jabez asked God to enlarge his territory.
a. This is more than just simply asking God for more land.
b. This would also refer to asking God to increase his descendants.
c. This might also refer to asking God to increase his opportunities to serve Him.
3. Jabez asked that God’s hand would continue to be upon him.
a. This would first of all refer to God providing guidance for him.
b. Second this would refer to God’s hand of continued blessing to be upon his life.
c. Jabez’s places his trust fully in God’s ability.
4. Jabez asks God to keep him from all harm.
a. Obviously this is asking God for protection.
b. This also a cry for God to keep disaster from coming in to his life.
c. Jabez might also be asking for God to keep his past from weighing him down.
B. The importance of the way God answers Jabez’s prayer.
1. God heard Jabez’s heartfelt prayer offered in faith and responded by granting everything that he asked for.
2. The passage teaches us that God’s people should always seek Him and in faith offer their prayers up to Him.
3. The power of God can overcome any situation or liability. God can turn around any situation that we face.
4. God’s grace is always available to those who humbly come before Him in prayer.
5. The assurance of this story is that God will hear the prayer of faith and graciously respond.
III. Questions the story of Jabez forces us to ask ourselves.
A. What should the meaning of my name be?
1. If your name was truly a reflection of your character, what would be your name?
2. As Christian we bear the name of Jesus Christ and our lives should be a reflection of His character.
3. Like Jabez our desire must be to have our names reflect the grace and blessing of God.
4. Like Jabez we do not have to be hindered by the stigma of our past or the difficulties and pain of our present circumstances. God has the ability to set us free from them.
B. Where am I on my spiritual journey?
1. Are you satisfied where you are spiritually? Every one of us should have answered that question with a very loud no!!!
2. God wants us to desire more, to move beyond our comfort zones and to reach new heights spiritual.
3. The Christian life is a constant growing process, as long as we live in this world we will never be where we ought to be.
4. If we really desire this to become a reality, we must completely place our trust in our God for who nothing is impossible.
C. What do I most want God to do for me?
1. Jabez was not afraid to ask God for big things, unfortunately we are content to ask God for little things.
2. It takes no faith to play it safe, faith comes into play when we ask God to help us to accomplish things that we could never do on our own.
3. Our God has unlimited power and He wants to bless us in ways that we have yet to imagine. The only one that limits God is us.
4. Today we need to boldly come before God like Jabez asking Him to turn around our lives and our church.
5. As Christians and as a church we need to be willing to try things so big that is God is not in it we will fall flat on our face.
Conclusion:
It is said that one day Michelangelo entered his studio to examine the work of his students. As he came to the painting of one of his favorite pupils, he stood and looked at it for a long time. Then, to utter surprise of the class, he suddenly took a brush and wrote one word across the canvas. That one word was amplius, meaning "larger" Michelangelo was not rejecting the work, for it exhibited great skill and was good as far as it went. But the small size of the canvas had make its design appear cramped. It needed to be expanded.
