God’s name is powerful, so we shouldn’t misuse it. As Douglas has been getting older, he’s been given new and bigger chores to do around the house. His favorite is getting to mow the lawn with the riding lawn mower, and his least favorite is having to drag the trash can to the curb on trash day. One day, the day he was supposed to mow fell on trash day, and he had what he thought was a great idea. He would use the lawnmower to push the big, heavy trash can to the curb, so he wouldn’t have to drag it! Well, he got the lawnmower in position and started to push the can forward, and at first it worked very well—but then the trash can tipped over. Some garbage fell on the ground, and as Douglas was thinking about having to clean up that mess, he forgot to stop the lawnmower, and he drove over the top of the trash can. The mower began to chop up the trash can and the trash, and hurl pieces of garbage all over the neighborhood! Some splashed into the street, and some splashed up against his house and his neighbor’s house. It was the biggest mess Douglas had ever seen. Douglas DEFINITELY misused that lawnmower, and he made a huge mess because of it.
The Bible says that we should not misuse God’s name, because God’s name is powerful! God’s real name is Yahweh, and that name is so holy that the Israelites would never say it, and they would make sure to purify themselves before even writing it. In the New Testament, it says that if we ask for anything in Jesus’ name, it will be given to us, and even demons must flee at the name of Jesus. Because of Jesus’ sacrifice for us, we can now safely use God’s name (and we’re even encouraged to), but we still need to be very careful with it. Many people use “God’ or “Jesus” or “Jesus Christ” when they aren’t actually talking about God, and that is very bad. Any time you say, “Oh my God,” “God,” “Jesus,” “Jesus Christ,” “Yahweh,” or even sometimes “Lord,” you should be talking to or about God. “For the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses His name.” So let’s all treat God’s name with the respect it deserves, because there is power in the name of God!
Bible Verses About the Third Commandment:
- Exodus 20:7 | The third commandment
- Proverbs 18:10 | The name of the LORD is a fortified tower
- Romans 10:9-13 | Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved
- John 14:14 | Ask for anything in Jesus’ name
- Luke 10:17 | Fighting demons in Jesus’ name
Family Time Questions About the Third Commandment:
• What is the third of the Ten Commandments?
• Why shouldn’t we misuse God’s name?
• How should we use God’s name?
Prayer:
Dear God, thank you for being the one true God. Help me to always honor your name and never misuse it. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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