OMG...Pardon Me?

I think we're doing that 3rd commandment wrong. 

Like me, you may have grown up in a household that didn't allow for phrases like...

OMG

Jeez

Gosh Darn

For those of you who just survived the PG-13 part of this blog, let's continue. If I may be so bold, I believe the commandment our parents tried to keep us in line with goes much deeper than a word spoken in anger or frustration. 

My seminary president once had the honor of teaching an Old Testament study to a group of rabbis. Afterwards, they repeatedly thanked him for not using the proper name of God, Yahweh, during his teaching. Many Christians who'd been invited to teach had used the name, causing extreme offense to their audience. 

If you've ever noticed in your Bible, the word LORD is often capitalized throughout the Old Testament portions. This is actually a substitution by the Hebrew scribes for the name Yahweh that for them was too holy and special to even be written down. The Jews have always treated God's name with a deep reverence, but it goes far beyond the understanding you may have grown up with. 

How do we use God's name in vain.

1) Profanity. Ok, so let's get this out of the way. If you're using the English expression for God as a curse word, then you clearly are speaking it vainly. However, for those with no relationship with Him, "God" is simply a word. We need to be careful about demanding lost people use the name of God properly. Lost people gonna lost. 

2) Prayers of Unbelief. James 1:5-7 says that when we pray we should do so, "...in faith with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord" What is the issue with this prayer? It called upon God in vain, doubting His ability. We recognize God may answer differently from our preference, but in faith we pray trusting He will answer. 

3) False Oaths. Some people "swear to God" in proving their sincerity, mainly because they've been found insincere in the past. Numerous people swear before God to love "until death do us part", but step away long before. James 5:12 challenges us, "Above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear--not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. All you need to say is a simple "Yes" or "No."

So now what?

Obviously, we just say OMG all we want....NOT! My purpose isn't to be flippant about our attempts at honoring God, but to simply think a bit deeper on how we go about it. Idol worship in America looks differently than it did in biblical times, but we have recognized how to think deeper on the temptation to idolize fame, fortune, etc. 

In the same way, let's approach the name of God our Father and Friend with the complete reverence He deserves. Using the name of God with purpose in front of our kids or co-workers will speak louder than simply avoiding random utterances of His name at all.