I wrote then: Life has been busy and I am not getting out a chapter a day as you see. After all, I still work full-time. Then, when I get home, there are letters to write (mostly e-mail). There is dinner to share with Anne. I have reading to do. We like to watch the news on TV and sometimes something else together. There are plants to water. There may be time for some hobbies, like working on my music.
So, that brings us to Commandment Number 3: "You shall not take the Name of the Lord your God in vain, for The Lord will not hold you guiltless if you do" (Exodus 20:7). In other words, using God's name in vain is a sin and it makes you guilty before God. Using His name, or names, in vain means using them in places in your speech where you shouldn't be using them. It is swearing or, as some people say, cursing. An older word is blasphemy.
Unfortunately, taking God's name in vain has become far too common in our society. Even little children say "Oh My God" when they are surprised by something, or excited about something. It's even appearing in ads and commercials, often just as OMG, the common e-mail or Facebook usage. And how often do we not hear expressions beginning with "Jesus… this or that," or even "Jesus Christ etc." Jesus is God so using His name in vain is included here. Some people would say that even using words like "Geez" is swearing because it could be a short form of Jesus.
Expressions like "Holy cow" or other phrases using holy (like 'Holy s____') like this may not be exactly using Gold's name in vain. However, it should be clear that this is not good speech for a disciple of Jesus to be using either. Holy should only be used in relation to things that refer to God an the appropriate way.
As the Apostle Paul is believed by many to have written:
"Let your speech be always with grace."
A good thought to start the week.
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