You shall not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.

You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain Exodus 20:7 is the third commandment which focuses on the issue of using the name of the Lord our creator in vain. He prohibits the misuse of His name, because it is higher and holier than any other name in the universe and demands a level of dignity and respect that reflects who God is. In the culture of ancient east, the name one was given became one’s identity. Your name represents who you are, your essence, your reputation and your history. The author of Proverbs states that a “good name” is better than great riches Proverbs 22:1. In the lord’s prayer, Jesus taught His disciples to hallow God’s name. In other words, to consecrate something or set it apart meaning that the language we use to address God must be done with reverence and respect. We cannot profane the name of the Lord to disrespect Him in any way, because He is the one who created us. This command however addresses our speech, it actually has more to do with our walk than our talk. To ” take” the name of the Lord God is actually to “bear or carry” it. Thus, the commandment addresses the ways in which we bear the name of our creator. Therefore, we take God’s name in vain when we waste our lives on meaningless, time consuming things that are of no eternal value. Having done so, our precious time is wasted on ephemeral things. However, it is we as infinite Christians who have been entrusted with the mighty name of God. We must make sure our walk and our talk are consistent because we bear a mighty name,and we cannot allow God’s name to be carried in vain. We can even appreciate God greatly if we think of what He has done for us which no one else. Therefore, for His faithfulness, we must bear God’s name with honour and dignity. The grace to do so, may the Lord bestow on us ijmn.