The nations will see your vindication, and all kings your glory; you will be called by a new name that the mouth of the LORD will bestow.
Isaiah 62:2
How do you feel about the name your parents gave you? In North America, most people are quite happy, and maybe even proud of, their given name. But, for a significant number of girls throughout India, that is not the case. The cultural mindset of many Indian parents values the life of a male child over that of a female. A common perspective there is that boys are assets and girls are liabilities. Consequently, girls in India are given names that convey the meaning of “unwanted,” leading them to feel worthless and to struggle with self-esteem.
Recently, efforts to address this issue in India resulted in a renaming ceremony in which hundreds of Indian girls were given the opportunity to choose new names for themselves. It is encouraging to see district health officials, recognizing the detrimental and potentially devastating health effects of living with a negative label, were willing to confront cultural tradition by allowing girls to choose names that express positive value and build their self-esteem.
Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give that person a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to the one who receives it. Revelation 2:17
As these girls get their new names, The Tide continues to proclaim the Gospel message through multiple heart language radio broadcasts in India. We know that the true Creator not only longs for these girls to grow up in freedom, surrounded by a loving and accepting family, but also values each one of them so much that He sent His Son to the cross so that they may have eternal life. The new names they have chosen will help them feel better about themselves, but only through belief in the one true God will these formerly ‘unwanted’ girls get a genuine a new start in life and have the assurance that they are both wanted and cherished.
Through The Tide radio broadcasts, millions of people of traditional Indian culture have the opportunity to hear about the love and acceptance of Christ in their own native language. Your financial support of these programs makes it possible for them to hear of the sacrifice that Christ made out of His love for them. To learn more about sponsoring heart language radio broadcast in India, click here.