What's in a name?

It happens in nearly every office, pub, restaurant, park and theatre. That moment when, in the middle of a relaxed conversation, someone suddenly takes God's name in vain. In a split second, our heavenly Father's title becomes little more than an expression of exasperation; our precious Saviour's name a swear word. Sometimes the speaker intends to offend, more often they are indulging in mindless, culturally-approved emphases with little or no thought for anything or anyone spiritual. And as they do, our hearts sink and our palms sweat. Part of us saddened by the devaluing of something so dear to us - the rest, panic-stricken by that niggling suspicion that we probably ought to say something but we have no idea what.

So how can we respond in such situations? It's a question that one of our blog readers posed last week.

If the person speaking is a believer and regularly involved in the life of the church, a more direct approach could work. A raised eyebrow and a light question can do the trick. "Did you just use your best friend's name as a swear word?", "so how are you doing with the old third commandment this week then?" or "do you say that often?" can all help people think about what they have just uttered. Often people don't even realise they're saying it - sometimes they don't realise it's something the Bible warns against and a humble, gentle word can lead to a short conversation and lasting change. It's important not to be preachy, of course, but any mature believer will respond warmly to a loving nudge towards increasing faithfulness.

But what if the person speaking isn't a believer or is someone who calls themselves a believer but who really doesn't show any evidence of saving faith? It's not so easy then, is it? We want to engage people in conversation that will point them to a loving God and help them to honour him, so it's unlikely to be helpful if the first time we mention God is to chastise someone over the way they use his name. So how can we approach those around us? Here are our thoughts:

1. Make sure they know how much we love Jesus. Let's be consistent in talking about God, church and our Christian brothers and sisters in ways that are natural and positive.
2. Make sure they know how much God loves them. Let's be consistent in asking people if we can pray for them in their troubles and giving short, caring biblical perspectives when discussing the issues that impact their lives.
3. Make sure they know how much we love them. Invite them round for a meal, go for a walk with them and enjoy their company - listening to what they have to say.
4. And then, when those truths are ringing clear in their minds, encourage them to think about how they use their language by gently asking questions: "do you think he heard you?" or "do you think he minds when we use his name like that?"

If nothing else, you can start a conversation. And, if done with humility, who knows what fruit that might bear ...

But you might have better suggestions. If you do, please share. How have you responded to the misuse of God's name you hear each day?