Lord's Day 25

The word “vanity” literally means emptiness or lack of worth. The Biblical opposite of this word is “glory,” which literally means “heavy” or “weighty.” For us, then, to take the name of the Lord God in vain would be to make the glorious name of God meaningless and empty. While it is impossible for us to diminish the actual glory of God’s holy name, it is possible that through our words and deeds we can diminish the perceived glory of God for others, thus rendering God meaningless or unattractive to those around us. 

The Heidelberg Catechism teaches “that we must not profane or abuse the name of God by cursing, by perjury, or by unnecessary oaths.” This is readily understood in the commandment. We are not to throw God’s name around casually in our oaths, nor are we to lie or swear in the name of God. To do so would suggest to those around us that God’s name has little meaning or power over us. 

However, the catechism goes on to say that we are not “to participate in such horrible sins by keeping quiet and thus giving silent consent.” This is an even greater requirement of the commandment. We carry the name of God wherever we go. When we are silent in the face of sin and suffering, if we fail to act when we see others in need, we are silently proclaiming that our God is silent and unconcerned about the needs and concerns of the people around us. 

I tell my children every day, “Remember whose you are.” I want them to remember that they are my children, and they are God’s children as well. I want them to act in a way that would honor me as their father, but more importantly, in a way that would honor God as their heavenly father. What they say and do reflects on me as a father. Likewise, what we say and do is a reflection of our attitude toward our heavenly father.