Name In Vain (OMG!) ✍️

While watching "The Heat" starring Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy on Netflix the other day, I couldn't help but wince every time they casually used the name of Jesus. It happened countless times throughout the movie.

I remember the film "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings." Katy (played by Awkwafina), Shang-Chi's friend, frequently uses the expression "Oh my God." She says it in two distinct moments:

1. In absolute amazement as she starts the engine of a guest's luxury hotel car.
2. Out of pure terror, she clings to a tall bamboo scaffolding that is swinging back and forth.

It is highly noticeable, in Hollywood movies, the names of God and Jesus are often mention as ordinary slang or emotional outbursts.

How many people close to us regularly use the phrase, "Oh my God?' Perhaps we have even uttered it ourselves. When we are in doubt, distressed, annoyed, surprised, excited, nervous, or angry, do we usually default to,  "Oh my God!" or its abbreviation, "OMG?"

Some try to justify their "OMG" by claiming that the letter "G" doesn't refer to God but "Goodness," "Gosh," or "Gulay"(for filipinos). But are we just trying to ease our conviction of using God's name in vain? The expression "OMG" historically originated from "Oh My God." So no matter how we try to redefine it, the root of the expression remains unchanged.

The citing of God's name or Jesus casually, with no value, directly goes against the Third Commandment.

"You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses His name."-- Exodus 20:7

Scripture further reminds us in Galatians 6:7, "Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows."

Now here's the challenge: Try saying "Oh my..." but  replace "God"  with the name of your father or mother. Would you do it? Would you use their' names as a regular expressiom? Of course not. Why? Because you respect them. You honor your parents too much to turn their names into a thoughtless catchphrase. If we hold our earthly parents in such high regard, shouldn't we show even greater reverence to the God who created them, us and the entire universe?

Pause and ponder: Are we treating God's name with the honor it deserves?

Prayer: Almighty God of all creation, help us to use and speak Your name with deep reverence. In Jesus' name, Amen 🙏


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