You’ve done it, I’ve done it, we’ve all done it.
If you’re like me, it happened one innocent Saturday while attempting to assemble a piece of furniture. Before your conscience has a chance to stop it, your tongue has already condemned a piece of wood to eternal damnation. Then, the realization hits and the guilt rushes in as you realize, “I’ve just broken one of the ten commandments. I’ve used the name of God in vain.”
Maybe not. Maybe you’re a Sunday School teacher and a nominee for sainthood. You probably don’t understand how a guy like me could be singing praise songs and hanging a picture frame one minute and then in the same breath misuse the name of the Almighty.
But I bet you’ve done it too— without knowing it. We all have. Forget boycotting Hollywood because we perceive they are the worst offenders of breaking the the third. The truth is, they aren’t. We are. Let’s go to confession.
I break the third commandment and use the Lord’s name in vain when I who am called a Christian:
- Ignore the plight of the poor and tell them their condition is their fault.
- Use the words Lord, Father and Jesus instead of “uh” and “um” when I can’t think of what to say in a prayer and don’t want my brothers and sisters to think I’m not spiritual enough.
- Insult and offend someone in a moment of anger because I was frustrated at a situation and couldn’t control my tongue.
- Have a vengeful, lustful or racist thought.
- Any time I don’t love someone as Christ would.
- Whenever I fail to treat someone the way Christ would treat them.
- When I put my pride over another’s dignity.
- Every time I take credit for something God has done.
… This list could go on, but I’ve made my point. Like so many other sins, this one isn’t about a single word or act. It is about the condition of the heart. Any time we, who are called by Christ’s name do something that is counter to Christ’s heart or mission we are guilty of using His name in vain.
You probably have read Martin Luther’s whatever Christian publication? Martin says that the commandments of god including the Ten commandments are made for believers to know that they are sinners, and only believing in God and asking for Jesus’ forgiveness (and making Jesus as if he is your wife or husband) thus can wash you clean. Jesus does this by making your sins his sins so you’ll be pure forever. i don’t remember anything about the christian bible but maybe the jewish bible is much accurate as i have heard. one of them or both say that thou shall not even covet anything but god himself. if you do, then you are sinful. and if you don’t then god will give you everything he has to give. the problem with most christians that I’ve went around with is that those who frequently go to church and has his mouth full of God says this god says that, so we must not do this and do that are those people who are truly sinners. they didn’t think twice before acting on something bad, but only after the action has harmed someone. and then they would go to church and ask for forgiveness and recalling that whatever they have sinned, god/jesus, as if their wife/husband, will be make those sins as his own.
when i read the publication, it was definitely scary and quite leading you to really depend on God. Martin admits this is the real purpose of God as what he sees it to be. God wants people to believe in him and remember that if god makes your sins as his sins and you are then purified, then you should remember that whatever good deeds you have is god’s good deeds. Martin says god wants people to know that all goods are from him and his products. all credits should be given to him and not to believers
my point here is if god is desperate for the credits that believers done so, then god is something just comparable to most humans who just need to have their deeds known to be famous. what i think that whatever good deeds we make, we should not care whether it will bring us fame or recognition. but sometimes we may demand for some credits to climb up the ladder, but this demand is not in anyway boastful or selfish as long as we demand it to increase strength and power to do more goods to those less fortunates.
well, obviously a part in us do demand a bit of attention from the public, but self-control and balance of everything are what i think are the most important. shouldn’t this thought bring a whole lotta peace and love to everyone in the world?
idk, my thoughts are never organized, so i don’t blame you if you find my comments even understandable or just plain crappy.