“…for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. This, then, is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come…’ ” (Jesus, quoted in Matthew 6:8b-9)
“You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.” (Exodus 20:7)
Last October, our weekly devotional focused on the use of “Jesus Christ” as a curse, and on how his followers might choose to respond to hearing the name of our Savior spoken in a crude, casual manner. The other day I read a passage that challenged me to view this subject more deeply. These words from John Stott remind us that “misusing” God’s name is not just about the words we say, but about the life we lead:
“The name of God represents the nature of God. There is much in the Bible which commands us to reverence his name, and in the Lord’s Prayer we are taught to pray that his name may be hallowed. His holy name can be profaned by our loose language, and most of us could do worse than revise our vocabulary from time to time. But to take God’s name in vain is not just a matter of words, but also of thoughts and deeds. Whenever our behaviour is inconsistent with our belief, or our practice contradicts our preaching, we take God’s name in vain. To call God ‘Lord’ and disobey him is to take his name in vain. To call God ‘Father’ and be filled with anxiety and doubts is to deny his name. To take God’s name in vain is to talk one way and act another. This is hypocrisy.” (John R.W. Stott, Basic Christianity, p. 66)
Eternal God and Father, I for one am convicted that the way my life “speaks” too often does not bring honor or glory to your holy name. Thank you for the reminder that “hallowing” your name takes more than words. Deepen in me a desire to glorify you and “speak” your name honorably in all that I think, say and do. As I trust you to do so, I will rely on your grace and rest in your love. Amen.
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