“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.

Let’s go a little deeper today in trying to understand the importance of honoring the Lord’s name.

One of my professors at Bible college convinced some of us that we should eliminate all the “G-words” and “J.C. phrases” from our vocabulary. You know the words; the ones that let you express yourself without technically using the Lord’s name.

The argument goes something like this. Suppose that the name of your Creator and Redeemer was “Lawrence”. You know that you are not supposed to use the name “Lawrence” in vain. So when you want to put some force into your words, instead of saying, “Oh my Lawrence!” you say, “Oh my Larry!” Have you avoided misusing your deity’s name? Is he pleased with your choice of words?

Now, make a mental list of the words people use as a substitute for “God”, “Lord” and “Jesus Christ” when they are trying to express themselves. Would Jesus use those words? How might God feel when his children use them?

Does the professor have a point, or is he being too picky? What do you think?