“Do not misuse the name of the LORD your God. The LORD will not let you go unpunished if you misuse His name.” (Exodus 20:7 NLT)

Dale Carnegie commented once that, “Names are the sweetest and most important sound in any language.”

God’s Name is important to Him. He directs us how to use His Name: “Do not misuse the name of the LORD your God. The LORD will not let you go unpunished if you misuse His name.” (Exodus 20:7 NLT)

We fail to honor God’s Name whenever we use it to swear by His Name that something is true that is, in fact, not. We break this commandment when we teach things about God that are not true. Or by pretending to be a Christian while covering up an unbelieving heart. This is known in Scripture as honoring God with one’s lips but not with one’s heart.

But one of the areas that this commandment is most commonly broken today is in the way we use God’s Name as an adjective or everyday expression. Did you know, that when the scribes were copying the manuscripts of the Old Testament and they wrote God’s Name they would dispose of the quill they used immediately and get a new quill. They honored His Name so much that after writing His Holy Name that quill was no longer worthy to be used for any other word.

How sadly we have fallen in our culture today as we fail to honor God’s Holy Name. Many will type “OMG” and many more will say it in disbelief just like they are saying “WOW”. Instead, we should honor God’s Name with our praise, not our curses.

I heard the story of a baseball player who played for a coach who had a habit of swearing and cursing throughout the game. As a Christian, he became increasingly bothered by his coach’s abuse of His Savior’s Name used as a curse word. Not really having a place of authority to correct his coach, he decided that he would simply demonstrate the proper respect for the Name of His Savior. So, whenever the coach would swear with the Name Jesus Christ…this player would silently drop to one knee and lift a brief word of praise quietly to himself.
‌
It was about four innings later that the coach finally asked, “What are you doing?” The player answered, “Coach, you keep talking about the One who saved my life…I am just honoring His Name like the Bible says, at the name of Jesus every knee should bow.”

Well, you know the coach became a lot more mindful of that name.

God’s Name deserves to be honored and lifted up in praise. This is what it means to follow Jesus, honoring God’s Name, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Prayer
Dear Lord, thank you very much for sharing with us, and giving to us, and entrusting to us the use of Your Name. Would you help us to honor it as we should and as You deserve? Allow us to lift up Your Name and to keep it holy with deep respect and honor in our lives. In Jesus’ Name we pray, Amen