Something has been bothering me for a long time.
We all try to keep the ten commandments, right? Most of us think we do okay in that area … I mean we don’t kill, we don’t steal, we don’t commit adultery, we honor our fathers and mothers, etc. However, there is one commandment some of us break regularly, and many of us don’t even think about it.
Which one is it? Commandment number three: “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.”
How many times have we heard the phrase “OM__”? I feel guilty even typing it because I know when you see it, you repeat the actual WORDS to yourself … even if you don’t want to. And I hate to break it to you, but I believe abbreviating the words is the same as saying the words, and it also makes others repeat the phrase in their heads.
Maybe most of us don’t know what “in vain” means. It means “without result or for no purpose.” In other words, unless I am talking about God specifically or praying to Him, I should never use His name in conversation, especially not as an expletive.
It makes me cringe when I hear people use God’s name in vain, but it makes me sad when I hear a Christian use them. Christians are supposed to know better … be more active in trying to keep the Ten Commandments.
Yes, I know we’re not under the law, technically, but God is the same “yesterday, today, and forever,” and I believe He expects us to respect and honor His name. (Hebrews 13:8) I think He will bless us for it.
In the past, people came up with alternative words or phrases to use in certain situations to keep from being guilty of using God’s name in vain. If you research their history, you’ll find these words are all derived from God’s names. Word such as “Oh my Goodness,” “Oh my Gosh,” “Holy Smoke,” “Goodness,” “Gracious,” “Honest to Goodness.”
I’m not saying I think it’s wrong to use these alternative words … I’ve use a couple of them myself. Strictly speaking, they are not using God’s names, but I’m not sure how I feel about using them. The Bible say, “But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation.” James 5:12)
What do YOU think?