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When I was 25 I attended a Prophecy Seminar. Up until that night, I had lived a life, far from God. I was Hurt. Alone. Broken. Lost. Helpless. But, God threw a lifeline to me. He invited me into fellowship with Him! That was the most incredible invitation I have ever received! I felt so unworthy. But, my tearful response to Him was this: “I will accept your invitation and I will give you 100% of myself. I won’t hold anything back. I will give you my heart, my mind, my body, my dreams, my business. I will give it all to you and whatever you tell me to do, wherever you tell me to go, I will do and go.”
Even though I didn’t know it at the time, my response was formed from the following scripture:
The 3rd Commandment. It is found in Exodus chapter 20 and verse 7, from the ESV (English Standard Version): “You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD your God will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.”
This verse, originally, has to do with taking oaths. It was permissible to make an oath and swear to it (not cursing, mind you, but, more like, giving your word; your promise) in God’s name. So, perhaps, God is, here, saying, “Don’t swear in an oath in my name and then dishonor or break that oath.”
His name was so revered in Israel that the high priest would only pronounce it once a year and it was never properly written.
But, this imperative is more than not cursing, it is more than honoring our word and promises, to God and to each other.
When we believe something to be true, it impacts our lives.
When we accept God as our one and only God, this verse, this imperative, speaks more to authentic Kingdom living.
When we accept Jesus as our Savior, obedience to this command involves loving our enemies, praying for them, working for their best good and the fulfillment of their dreams. It means putting lust and anger out of your heart and being careful what you fill your mind and heart with, for “by beholding we become changed.”
Jeremiah 7:8-10 talks about a people who go to church and ask for forgiveness, but in their daily lives live completely opposite of how God instructs His people to live. In verse 10, God calls ‘taking the name of the LORD your God in vain’ an abomination.

Today, let’s commit to living the authentic Christian life. Today, let us not take the name of the LORD our God in vain. Let us, instead, seek first His Kingdom. Today, let’s live for Him!