Huh? That's Not My Name..

a blank name tag

A few weeks ago — well, more like a few months ago — my friend’s dad greeted me and called me “Amarachi.”

I laughed it off, thinking he probably meant to say Annabel.

Not that the names sound alike, but I figured it was just a slip of the tongue. No big deal.

Later, when I mentioned it to my mom, she laughed too but then asked, “Do you know what that name means?”

I told her I didn’t and gave her a side-eye because I knew where this was potentially going, and honestly, it wasn’t that deep. But she smiled and said something that stuck with me:

“Whenever someone calls you a name you don’t recognize, or speaks something over you, always find out what it means. Words carry weight.”

She wasn’t saying my friend’s dad meant any harm, not at all. But she reminded me that when we don’t question the things spoken to or about us, we can unknowingly come into agreement with them.

And since I didn’t correct him, she said, “By default, you accepted it.”

Two words. Two syllables. Mind-blown.

The Name That Made Me Pause

That conversation opened my eyes in a way I didn’t expect. I had never thought about names, as something we could spiritually agree to.

Not that I disagreed, I just never thought about it that way.

Out of curiosity, I looked it up. Amarachi means “Grace of God.”

Such a beautiful and fitting name, especially considering the platform we’re building here. I’m not even sure if my friend’s dad knows anything about Simply Grace or if he just felt the name fit me, or maybe he thought I looked like an Amarachi (apparently, I resemble Igbo babes).

Either way, if I were Igbo, I’d probably choose that name for myself LOL.

But the meaning, while positive, wasn’t the main lesson. It was the principle behind it: if that name had carried a negative meaning, I would have unknowingly spoken it over my life just by accepting it.

And I’m sure if Jabez had any say, he definitely wouldn’t have agreed to his name (his story can be found in 1 Chronicles 4:9–10). That thought stayed with me.

The Power of “Yeah, That’s Me”

We hear it all the time, “The power of life and death is in the tongue.” (Proverbs 18:21)

But I think most of us underestimate what that actually means.

Our words shape our world. They have life, they have ears, and they await instruction. What we call ourselves, what others call us, and even what we respond to, it all matters.

Think about it:

• When someone calls you lazy, ugly, or worthless, and you laugh it off without rejecting it — you’ve quietly agreed.

• When you repeat a lyric without knowing what it means, you might be declaring something over yourself without realizing it.

• When you accept a nickname that doesn’t align with who you are, you’re giving that label permission to stick.

This isn’t about being overly cautious or paranoid. It’s about being aware. Because awareness is protection.

“For by your words you’ll be justified, and by your words you’ll be condemned.” — Matthew 12:37

Every Word Plants a Seed

Every word is a seed. What we say, and what’s said over us, gets planted somewhere. Some seeds grow into blessings, encouragement, and confidence.

Others, if left unchecked, can grow into insecurity, confusion, fear, or doubt.

That’s why the Bible warns, “The enemy prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking whom to devour” (1 Peter 5:8).

Sometimes, the attack isn’t loud, it’s subtle. It comes through the whispers we ignore, the jokes we don’t challenge, the lyrics we hum mindlessly.

The Beat Might Be Fire… But What Are You Saying?

This same idea applies to the music we listen to.

I know, the beat is fire, the artist is stylish, the production is elite. But have you ever stopped to ask yourself: What am I actually repeating right now?

Especially with genres like Amapiano, Afrobeats, or Latin music, where we might not understand the language, it’s easy to vibe to something without realizing what’s being said.

One of my friends refuses to listen to songs that aren’t in English. I’m not gonna lie, at first, I thought she was doing too much. Like, babe, that’s kinda extreme.

But now I see it’s just her way of staying intentional. Her reasoning?

“I don’t want to repeat something that I can’t interpret.”

And honestly, that made sense. You don’t lose anything by being cautious, but you could lose peace or clarity by being careless.

Choose Your Agreements Wisely

So here’s what I’ve learned:

• Pay attention to what people call you.

• Pay attention to what you call yourself.

• Pay attention to what you sing, say, and agree to.

Not every name or lyric is just a word, sometimes, it’s an agreement.

And the beautiful thing? You always have the power to choose what you agree with. You can reject words that don’t align with your identity and embrace those that speak life, grace, and truth.

Because sometimes, all it takes is a single word to shift the atmosphere around you, for better or for worse.

If I were put in that situation again, I'd probrably ask my friend's dad what Amarachi means, not to be rude, but to try and get a better understanding of what i'm agreeing to.

Be intentional.

Be aware.

And choose your words and your agreements wisely.