Confession

Exodus 20:7 You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.

At first glance, the third commandment seems straightforward: don’t use God’s name carelessly or irreverently. But its reach goes further: our conduct can also take His name in vain.

Think about it this way: if I’m a student at a prestigious university and get caught in scandalous behavior, I damage the reputation of my school. Or if I’m on an elite athletic team and show poor sportsmanship, I bring dishonor to the team.

The same principle applies to our faith. If we call ourselves Christians but live selfishly, unholy, or worldly lives, we profane God’s name. Our words and actions reflect Him or misrepresent Him.

From the moment we decide to follow Christ, we begin to bear His name. We are His representatives, His children, His workers, His ambassadors, His disciples. Every choice, every action, every silence can either honor or dishonor God’s name.

So the question for us is this: how might our conduct profane God’s name among our neighbors, coworkers, friends, or family? And more importantly, how can we live in a way that truly glorifies Him?

Prayer

Our Father, what a profound honor and privilege it is to be adopted into your family and called children of God. Like sons and daughters sharing a family name with their father, we too share in your name. Yet, we confess that we sometimes take this name in vain because of our unholy living. Perhaps it’s our hypocrisy, perhaps it’s our apathy. Whatever it may be, forgive us. Help us to feel the weight, to sense the seriousness, to understand the gravity of what it means to bear your name, and empower us to live lives worthy of our calling. May our conduct line up with our confession, our behavior with our belief. We ask these things in your son’s name, Amen.