Exodus 20:7 - The Third Point on our Spiritual Measuring Stick

Exodus 20:7 “You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses His name.”

As we progress through this year, we are taking a deep introspective look into our lives. Every so often we must take care to measure ourselves and see where we are, not just physically and mentally, but also spiritually and to do this we have - over the last several weeks - been looking at ourselves as compared to the standards of the 10 commandments. Today we look at the third commandment and see how it affects our lives. Hopefully we have found things in our lives that were idols or close to being idols, and of course, other masters and gods. This week, we look at our speech. Now of course, most people will see this commandment and say “I keep this one since I don't use foul language” and to an extent that is true.

If we don't actually use the Lord's actual name in our anger then we think we didn't break this commandment.  Yet how many of us have referred to someone and said that good old catchphrase “Lord bless their heart” or something along those line?  When we speak, do we keep our word?  How many times have we said we will pray for someone and then not?  What about our behaviour? How do our actions speak about God? If our actions contradict God, then we are taking and using His name in vain. We may go to church, we may say all the right things, and we may even carry our Bible around with us everywhere, but if our actions to other people don't match up with what we are saying, then we are failing in keeping this third commandment.

This week, why don't we take a look and see where our actions are not matching up with what we say and profess about our Lord and Saviour. Lets think about how do we represent Christ in our speech and actions. Its all too easy to not look ourselves this hard, but it is most definitely worth it!

Rise in the strength of God,
And face life’s uphill way,
The steps which other feet have trod
You tread today.

Press onward, upward still,
To win your way at last,
With better hope and stronger will
Than in the past.

Life’s work more nobly wrought,
Life’s race more bravely run,
Life’s daily conflict faced and fought,
Life’s duty done.
                              ^{Ada R.  Greenaway, 1908.}