I normally don't blog about my personal views. I also realize that my views, beliefs and personal convictions are not usually very popular. I've held back from this posting because I worry over making others upset. I've realized though, the older I get, the less I care of what others think I'm too extreme about. Is it extreme to follow the commandments??
I've grown so tired of reading/hearing people of God using His name in vain. They flippantly throw His name into their exclamations that have no need for His name. Why don't we realize that His name is holy? His name is to be revered and respected!
A few months back, I wrote lessons for the Ten Commandment series (for grades K-5 for our church). When I was delving into each commandment, different things stuck in my heart like #3 ... don't use God's name in vain. I'd made the personal decision (although the thought of that being personal is probably audacious to God himself) to change the way I spoke/typed a long time before and since having written those lessons, it's only spurred deeper hurt to hear the way His children use His name as something to just spit out when they are "awed". It even cuts deep to hear people in public throw His name out without actually referring to Him!
What am I specifically referring to? Well... I hesitate to even type it but I think sometimes people have to point out things to others that should be obvious already. Although, it's also obvious that it's not clear in their minds already! It literally hurts me to know that so called "Christians" teach their children to be respectful of "church property", older adults and so on but how many times have they witnessed our disrespect for God in this one particular way?!?
So what are they? - OMG (ANY way it's stated, spoken, acronyms or anything else), MG (same diff.), and several others. Why do we NEED to say OMG? If you think about what you're saying, you're breaking the commandment.
Exodus 20:7 “You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain."
I thought I'd include the definition of "vain" so that its meaning would be clear. While #1 & #2 do not apply, all the others fit, in my opinion.
–adjective, -er, -est. 1. excessively proud of or concerned about one's own appearance, qualities, achievements, etc.; conceited: a vain dandy. 2. proceeding from or showing personal vanity: vain remarks. 3. ineffectual or unsuccessful; futile: a vain effort. 4. without real significance, value, or importance; baseless or worthless: vain pageantry; vain display. 5. Archaic. senseless or foolish. —Idiom 6. in vain, a. without effect or avail; to no purpose: to apologize in vain. b. in an improper or irreverent manner: to take God's name in vain.
I ask you... Do you really think you could justify yourself to God why (if you are guilty of this) you use His name in such a senseless and needless way?
Remember, it's not too late to change the way you exclaim yourself. Step 1: Ask for forgiveness. Step 2: Be conscious of when you normally use His name in vain and just don't do it. Try not to replace it, if possible.
*Once again: this is my personal view but if you find fault with me... take it to God first.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Monday, March 05, 2007
Heros
I posted this on the forum, in case you're one of the forum buddies too.
he·ro –noun, plural -roes; for 5 also -ros.
1. a man of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his brave deeds and noble qualities.
2. a person who, in the opinion of others, has heroic qualities or has performed a heroic act and is regarded as a model or ideal: He was a local hero when he saved the drowning child.
Don't you just get so annoyed when you find out who some people's heros are?
Sometimes, I'd just like to sit their "hero" down on a stool, shine a light into who they really are and allow the person to view the real person their "idolizing as their hero". I think a lot of people's opinions would change.
I say that because I know first hand about a certain case. Myspace has this nifty little section called "Heros". People fill this in with who they think are their heros. I have a friend, whom I've known since I was about 4 and she was 1. We haven't kept in touch too much over the years but we share something, rather someone who, frankly doesn't live up to par when it comes to being someone's hero.
This friend named one of my aunts as her hero. My aunt has been good to this friend. They even tried to adopt her when she was 1 before the people who adopted her finally did so. Thus, why she is close with my family.
The issue I have with her naming my aunt as her hero is that my aunt has a reputation. Ah, once ruined, it's hard to mend. She likes to waggle her tongue, put her nose in dirt, and step all over people. She masks this side of herself by what the world calls chrisitianity. Oh my, the problems she has caused in our family, alone not to mention with people that I know and am friends with still. She's left a stink in their noses. I can't begin to imagine what stink God smells of her.
The irony of it all is that one person, one of my friends is friends with my friend who calls my aunt her hero. (did you get that?) You'd think that Friend-A would know what my aunt did to Friend-B and cause her not to think she's her hero anymore but you'd be wrong.
I'm praying that she finds a new hero. I'm also praying that her calling my aunt her hero isn't for the sake of following in that path but hopefully, more than anything else, just for show since my cousin (my aunt's daughter) is also on her friend's list. Ah, that was a confusing thing.
Yes, I am aware that people change and God can do anything! Don't think I'm not praying for my aunt either.
Do you really know who your heros are?? I know some of you do for a fact know who your heros are and who they REALLY are. ;-) At least, I've hopefully given you something to think about then.
he·ro –noun, plural -roes; for 5 also -ros.
1. a man of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his brave deeds and noble qualities.
2. a person who, in the opinion of others, has heroic qualities or has performed a heroic act and is regarded as a model or ideal: He was a local hero when he saved the drowning child.
Don't you just get so annoyed when you find out who some people's heros are?
Sometimes, I'd just like to sit their "hero" down on a stool, shine a light into who they really are and allow the person to view the real person their "idolizing as their hero". I think a lot of people's opinions would change.
I say that because I know first hand about a certain case. Myspace has this nifty little section called "Heros". People fill this in with who they think are their heros. I have a friend, whom I've known since I was about 4 and she was 1. We haven't kept in touch too much over the years but we share something, rather someone who, frankly doesn't live up to par when it comes to being someone's hero.
This friend named one of my aunts as her hero. My aunt has been good to this friend. They even tried to adopt her when she was 1 before the people who adopted her finally did so. Thus, why she is close with my family.
The issue I have with her naming my aunt as her hero is that my aunt has a reputation. Ah, once ruined, it's hard to mend. She likes to waggle her tongue, put her nose in dirt, and step all over people. She masks this side of herself by what the world calls chrisitianity. Oh my, the problems she has caused in our family, alone not to mention with people that I know and am friends with still. She's left a stink in their noses. I can't begin to imagine what stink God smells of her.
The irony of it all is that one person, one of my friends is friends with my friend who calls my aunt her hero. (did you get that?) You'd think that Friend-A would know what my aunt did to Friend-B and cause her not to think she's her hero anymore but you'd be wrong.
I'm praying that she finds a new hero. I'm also praying that her calling my aunt her hero isn't for the sake of following in that path but hopefully, more than anything else, just for show since my cousin (my aunt's daughter) is also on her friend's list. Ah, that was a confusing thing.
Yes, I am aware that people change and God can do anything! Don't think I'm not praying for my aunt either.
"We're not keeping secrets, we're telling them; we're not hiding things, we're bringing them out into the open." Mark 4:22
Do you really know who your heros are?? I know some of you do for a fact know who your heros are and who they REALLY are. ;-) At least, I've hopefully given you something to think about then.
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