I grew up around rodeos, construction sites, and older men playing golf. As you can assume, I heard lots of colorful language, and I learned many words that I did not need to know. “Four-letter” words were common, and many men often used God’s name in connection with the other bad words they were exclaiming.
The third commandment addresses our need to be careful with how we use the name of the Lord. In its simplest form, this command prohibits speaking God’s name in flippant or profane ways.
While it has become pretty popular in our culture to use profanity, speaking with clean language (even when we are angry or passionate) can certainly set us apart as followers of Christ. How I choose to speak is a reflection of my heart, an indication of my character, and a representation of Jesus to others. That sets up a pretty high standard, but God deserves my best.
Those cowboys, construction workers, and golfers from my youth may not have been taught any other way to communicate. They may not have had examples of how to honor God with their speech. But we have no excuse. As God’s children, let’s speak differently and reflect Jesus in our conversations.