OMG? Look at Exodus 20:7

     Just in case you don't have a Bible with you, it reads like this in the King James, "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".   You would have to say, that in today's society, a lot of folks are in trouble.  I used to work with a guy who used "Jesus Christ" as a cuss word about every five minutes.  Obviously, he thought it was funny and would make people laugh.  Sadly, it did!  I started saying out loud, "Where?"  "Is He here?!"  He would slow down a little, then start doing it again.  I finally started using his own name in the same way.  It got his attention.

     We use God's name in so many frivolous ways...  Oh my God,  G.. D.mn, God Bless you(sneezing), dear God,  Oh Lord, oh my gosh, etc.  I believe it shows a weakness in vocabulary too.  The person who uses those phrases needs to learn some new exclamations.  There are plenty; amazing, fabulous, great, incredible, unbelievable,  excellent, magnificent, resplendent, splendid, awesome, impressive, and that is just a few.  There are so many, you can leave the name of God out of it all together.

     Let's think about who HE is for a minute.  He is omnipotent (all ruling - almighty), omnipresent (everywhere at once), and omniscient (knows everything)!  He is holy or completely separate from any evil!  He is the creator and sustainer of the entire universe.  He is triune as the Father, Son, and Spirit!  He died on a cross, so you could meet Him face to face one day and He is even much more that all that!  Christians will have an eternity to search out the deep things of God.  It is not something you would want to miss out on.

     God's name in the Hebrew Bible was Yahweh.  Jews stopped saying and writing it out of respect.  They considered it too sacred to be uttered.  They substituted Elohim or Adonai.  It makes me think of Jesus prayer, "Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name."  To hallow means to sanctify or treat as holy.  Also, consider the muslims as an example.  If you were to take the name of Muhammad in vain, there would be a suicide bomber ringing your doorbell very soon!  I'm not saying Christians need to go to that extreme.   Let's just put our God on the pedestal He deserves!

     I believe that taking God's name in vain is an indication of poor spiritual health.  If someone is coughing or sick with a fever you don't lamblast them for not being healthy.  Bring them along slowly, allowing time to grow and mature spiritually.  Let's face it, most people don't read the Bible and few go to church.  You may be the only Christian they know.  Show your love for God by respecting His name and one day you'll get to hear Him read your name from the Book of Life!