When I was a kid, we lived in Frankfort, Kentucky, which even though it’s the state capitol, is a pretty small town. My grandfather was an FBI agent, and in a political environment, that’s a pretty big deal. He and my grandmother were prominent in Frankfort’s society. They belonged to the country club, and went to parties at the governor’s mansion. The name Tackett was well-known in town.

From a very early age, it was impressed upon my sister and me that we must always be on our best behavior, because whatever we did reflected upon my grandparents. When we went out in public we dressed like we were going to Sunday school, because you might run into someone important and you had to make a good impression. In restaurants we had to use our best manners, because it wouldn’t do to have the Tackett grandchildren acting like heathens. When we went to country club events, we must never fight with the other children, because a Tackett shows grace in every social situation. In other words, we represented the Tackett name. If we behaved, we honored our grandfather. And if we didn’t, we brought dishonor to his name and his reputation. So we learned what it means to represent the name of another.

As a Christian, I represent the Name of another – the Name of Jesus. This is a very serious responsibility that impacts every aspect of my life, public and private. Every action, every word, every thought reflects on him because I bear his Name.

I can’t forget my mother’s definition of a name: “A person’s name is so much more than the label they answer to. A name represents their very nature. Their name is who they are.”

My goal, then, is to live in such a way that my life clearly represents His Name – the Name of Jesus.