What “Using the Lord’s Name in Vain” Actually Means…

“Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.”

– Exodus 20:7(KJV).

Decades of Sunday school classes, going to bible college, Seminary, Christian conferences, years of pastoring, and, I could never understand why using the Lord’s name in vain was wrong…

Growing up, how many of us can recall a time of being scolded for saying “God” and then taught to replace it with “gosh”?

Just think how many kids today are taught to not text “omg” because it’s a “sin.”

I mean, why would God give two shits about me saying “Jesus Christ!” Or exclaiming “God-Dammit!” instead of “Dag-Nabbit!” when I inevitably stub my toe…?

It’s much deeper of an issue than you think…

Honestly, when we do stub our toes and shout “G-D!” God’s probably empathetic to the pain we’re feeling in that moment. How many parents are more upset at the language than they are about the broken or bruised toes of their child?

It’s unexplainable but repeated microcosms here that don’t seem like that big of a deal but are the exact perpetrators that pushed “droves of millennials” out and away from their Churches pews.

You see, cursing isn’t a sin; sure, certain words we use today are considered “profane” and therefore frowned upon when used in various settings. But, it’s not a mandated biblical law for followers of Jesus to not curse; again, to be clear, it’s an optional cultural proclivity decided upon by society not “God.”

If you think about it, it’s kind of like a really bad magic trick your pastor has played on you your entire life; because, if we make this commandment about the literal verbalization of God’s name then, we miss the actual travesty happening before us…