Showing Reverence to God

 



 Introduction

Believe it or not, there seems to be a growing disrespect towards God in the religious world today. A lack of reverence when referring to God, The Father or when addressing Him.

When one curses, using God’s name (or form of it), as part of that cursing, they are “taking the Lord’s name in vain.” However, there are other ways to do this and not use foul language. It is also taking the Lord’s name in vain or, simply, taking God for granted and not showing Him the respect He deserves.

 

Definitions

Let’s start with the definition of some words so that you will have an idea of where I’m going with this thought process. These definitions are from the 1828 Webster’s Dictionary.

Reverence—Fear mingled with respect and esteem. (Psalms 111:9) He hath sent redemption unto his people; He hath commanded his covenant for ever: Holy and reverend is his name. (ASV) Some translations use the word “awesome” but reverend is more apt. (CJM)

Vain—Empty, worthless, having no substance, value or importance. (Matthew 15:9) “And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.”

To take the name of God ‘in vain’ to use the name of God with levity and profaneness.

 

Examples of using God’s name in vain

I’ll spare you the cussing that, sadly, most of us are familiar with. I’m sure I don’t need to give those examples. When I’m looking at are the phrases that people toss around like it’s no big deal to refer to God this way.

One of the more common expressions is, The Man Upstairs. The assumption is that Heaven is found above us, and God resides there.

Another example is calling him, The Big Guy. A friend and I went hiking and came across a man who claimed to be a godly individual but as we concluded our conversation with him, he said, “Next time you talk to The Big Guy, make sure you mention me.” So disrespectful!

Although I’m sure there are many others, I’ll close this section with one more. This was used by a man, who was a Christian, and opened his public prayer, in the worship service with the phrase, “Hi Dad.”

This latter phrase is someone trying to humanize God or, at the very least, act like God is a buddy that you can hang out with. Clearly, he hasn’t read Psalms 89:7, God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, And to be held in reverence by all those around Him.

It’s one thing for a son or daughter to approach their father and say, “Hi Dad”, it’s another to refer to the creator of all living things the exact same way.

 

The Proper Way

Before we address God, or refer to Him, we need to adjust ourselves according to scripture; have the correct mindset when we approach him.

We must first have the right attitude. As the apostle Paul writes, If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God (Colossians 3:1-3).

We must understand He is Creator of all things. Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the LORD, The Creator of the ends of the earth, Neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable (Isaiah 40:28).

We must have a fear for God. “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” (Proverbs 9:10)


There are many examples in scripture that show us how to properly address God or show reverence to His name, even in everyday conversation. Here are just a few:

Almighty God—Gen. 17:1

Our Father—Mt. 6:9

Heavenly Father—Mt. 6:32

God The Father—Gal. 1:1, 3

Abba Father—Rom. 8:15

This latter phrase is about as casual as you want to get without showing disrespect to God.

The definition of “Abba” from Easton’s Bible Dictionary—It is a term expressing warm affection and filial confidence. It has no perfect equivalent in our language.

 

Conclusion

With many ways to address God, from scripture, there is absolutely no need to try and invent our own; especially something disrespectful as, “Hi Dad”. As the creator of all things, we need to show more reverence to Him and His Word.

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