The Ten Commandments are an integral part of any Christian. We’ve all heard them, can maybe even list them, but do we understand them? Take, for example Exodus 20:7:

 “You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.” (NIV 2011)

In theory, we know what this means—don’t swear or use God’s name in vain. It’s so much more than that.

When I arrived in England, I was horrified by the number of people who said, “God!” so casually. They most certainly were not glorifying their Maker! Hearing His name disrespected in daily conversation, I soon began to do the same.

Recently, I was reminded that God’s name represents the sum total of His character. He is holy, gracious, good, loving, kind, merciful, compassionate, righteous. I could go on. So when we misuse His name, we misrepresent His character, and we defame Yahweh himself. Yet, we do this through our everyday speech patterns. How often have you heard or said, “I swear it’s true,” or “We’ll get together for coffee,” or “I’ll have it done by Monday?”

Listen to Jesus’ words in Matthew 5v33-37

“Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, “Do not break your oath, but fulfill to the Lord the oaths you have made. But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne, or by the earth, for it is the city of the Great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. All you need to say is simply “Yes,” or “No”; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.” (NIV, 2011)

We are not required to make elaborate promises, in God’s name or otherwise. We are required to be people of our word. It’s easy to make promises, but they’re just as easily broken. When we speak with integrity, we fulfill the third commandment. As we state our intentions, then follow through, we accurately represent a truthful and faithful God. So let our “Yes” be yes, and our “No” be no.

If we understand the character of God, we’ll afford His sovereign name the respect it deserves, and we’ll be careful to obey the commandment to not misuse God’s name.