Church in the Mind of God - A Renamed People

Names are never neutral. They shape how we see ourselves and how others see us. From childhood nicknames to the inner labels we adopt from failure, trauma, or rejection—these “names” often become invisible scripts that define our identity.

At the Maximise Life Convention 2025, Rev. Dominic De Souza delivered a powerful message titled “Church in the Mind of God – A Renamed People.” He unpacked the profound story from Genesis 35, when Rachel, in her dying moments, named her son Ben-Oni—“son of my sorrow.” But Jacob, the boy’s father, intervened. He refused to let pain define his son’s future and renamed him Benjamin, meaning “son of my right hand,” a name brimming with honor and promise.

This story highlights a crucial truth: pain can speak, but it does not have the final word. Left unchallenged, negative labels can trap us in sorrow, shame, or limitation. Yet, like Jacob, God the Father steps in to rename us—not according to our wounds but according to His will.

Rev. De Souza reminded listeners that in Christ, we are no longer called forsaken, rejected, or broken. Instead, we are named accepted, redeemed, chosen, victorious, and beloved children of God. Just as Jesus took on the name of sorrow at the cross, we now receive new names of promise and intimacy at the Father’s right hand.

The church, in the mind of God, is not a people defined by past pain but a renamed people carrying His identity, purpose, and destiny.



Church in the Mind of God – A Renamed People (Devotional) 

Have you ever felt trapped by a label—words of failure, rejection, or pain? The Bible tells of Rachel naming her son Ben-Oni—“son of my sorrow.” But Jacob, his father, renamed him Benjamin—“son of my right hand.” One name carried grief; the other carried honor and destiny.

This story mirrors our own struggles. Pain tries to define us. Circumstances whisper names like “unworthy,” “failure,” or “unloved.” But God, like Jacob, steps in and says, “That’s not your name.”

Through Jesus Christ, who became the “man of sorrows” for us, we are given new names. No longer forsaken, but accepted. No longer bound, but free. No longer rejected, but beloved children of God.

Your true name is not written by your past but by your Father. And He calls you chosen, redeemed, and victorious.


Prayer:
Father, thank You for renaming me. Where pain has tried to define me, let Your truth overwrite every false label. Help me walk in the freedom of who You say I am—accepted, chosen, and loved. In Jesus’ name, Amen.