Ten Commandments, P3: Keep His Name Hallowed
“You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.” (Exodus 20:7, NIV)
I grew up in the early days of the internet, when you still connected using dial up. You couldn’t use the phone when someone was on the web. As a kid, the internet was used for fun and games, but as I became a teenager, the draw became AOL Instant Messenger.
That means I was part of the generation that abbreviated everything: LOL, G2G, TTYL, and probably the most commonly used OMG! Somehow, that turn of phrase became so embedded in the way I think and talk, to the point where I don’t even realize I’m using it sometimes. Lately, Sam has been correcting me more about it. “We have to start being aware of the language we use, because Piper is going to start mimicking it.”
And he’s right. Just because something is a flippant and unacknowledged weakness in me, doesn’t mean it has to be that way for my daughter. So this is now something I’m trying to work on: reforming myself from the OMG generation; I know it doesn’t please the Lord, and it’s a bad example to set. I know that it undermines my ability to witness as a follower of Christ, because some may not even notice it where others might see it as a hypocrisy in my faith.
Ultimately, there is more than one way to take the Lord’s name in vain, not just the common abbreviation or phrase it represents. Yes, we can take the Lord’s name in vain via profanity– using the Lord’s name as a curse word– and out of our frivolity– using the Lord’s name in vain in a surface-level, hollow way. But we can also use His name in vain in our insincerity.
Have you ever met someone who claimed to love Jesus but never seemed to show that in their actions? They do and say things they think they should in order to play the role of a good Christian, but if you look closely, their lifestyle is way out of whack?
You can claim the name of the Lord over your life, and yet live completely outside of His will and grace. You can “speak Jesus,” and yet dishonor Him in the ways it matters. After all, isn’t it Jesus Himself who said that many will say, ‘Lord, Lord, look at all these things I did in your name!’ and yet still be denied entrance into heaven? (Matthew 7)
It’s not outside the realm of possibility that people can know who Jesus is, and yet God isn’t glorified in it because they did not keep His commands or live righteously in order to let Him be honored by it. At the end of the day, that kind of hypocrisy– to claim God’s name and salvation and not live by His commands– is also taking His name in vain.
Our flippancy and hypocrisy is detrimental to the holiness that is necessary in living within God’s statutes, which is why we must be on guard for those little things in our lives that God is calling us to be convicted of. Like our language. Like our little knee-jerk catchphrases and idiosyncrasies.
Ultimately, Jesus teaches us this Himself. “Our Father, who art in heaven, HALLOWED BE THY NAME!” (Matthew 6:9, KJV) Hallowed. Holy. Venerated. Sacred. It’s meant to be so ingrained in our soul that we should pray this sentiment constantly. God’s name is consecrated. It is pure and blessed and worthy of our reverence. His name is not meant to be invoked when we hear a juicy piece of gossip or a jaw-dropping headline. His name is not supposed to be used lightly in jovial conversation. It’s not for us to use out of our general frustration or anger or pain when you stub your toe.
His name is hallowed. In our language, we are supposed to be clean and live a lifestyle of worship, where His name is above every other name. In our daily conversation, we are called to be diligent over what we say, using our words to affirm our witness for Jesus, not undermine it. And in our action, when we master self control over our words and allow God to convict us and bring our shortcomings to our attention, we are able to be a better light to this world. In both the big things and the small things, we should want to honor God and show others how good He is.
This commandment comes with a serious warning. God will not turn a blind eye for those who do not exercise caution over their language. He won’t take lightly to someone who used His name in vain or as a curse. To Him, it’s not a small thing, so it should be the same to us.
Which is why I’m actively trying to reverse my bad habits. More and more, I catch myself saying those quick, little OMGs. And the more I catch it– the more I actively hear those things that are stupidly said without thinking– the more I can correct myself by either giving myself a different natural reaction or calling more attention to what I’m saying.
It should be the goal of every Christian to want to keep the Lord’s name holy. It should be our utmost desire to be reverent in its use and worship.
