suitable for a wide range of ages, with two very simple lessons on
each Commandment aimed
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on this series of books and ordering information.
THE
THIRD COMMANDMENT :
“Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy
God in vain”
means that we should not use God’s name as if it had
magical powers, for good or bad, just by
being spoken. For instance,
it is wrong to call out the name of God if you are angry at something
or
someone. That is called “swearing” or “cursing,” and it not only dishonors
God, it is also
unloving and impolite to others. We do not use God’s
name lightly or jokingly. We do not speak
certain favorite words about
Him over and over again, thinking that just saying the words will
help us or heal us. Our goal is to have what we think, what we feel,
what we say, and what we
do, all flow from the same truth.
THE THIRD
COMMANDMENT :
“Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in
vain”
helps us to grow in our usefulness to God and to mankind. Why?
Because we would only speak
of God when we are ready to speak from
our heart. Our words would come from the truth we
really know and
use, and would bring joy and healing to all who hear us. Our lives
would be like
trees that give good fruit, providing nourishment to
all who welcome what we have to offer.
Here is an example of a Third
Commandment question-and-answer for older children:
Question: What
does taking God’s name “in vain” mean?
Answer: Vain describes something
that is worthless, empty, hollow, unsuccessful. If we do
something
“in vain,” our actions would be a waste of effort.
If we find ourselves
speaking God’s name in a way that is disrespectful to God, such as
when someone curses or swears, we are using His name “in vain.” If
we try to use God’s name, or
words about Him, to cover up evil or impure
thoughts in our heart, we are taking His name
“in vain.” If we promise
to do something in “God’s name,” and then we break that promise,
we
are taking His name “in vain.” In order to be obedient to this commandment,
we should
habitually express God-like qualities, such as honesty and
trustworthiness, before we speak
or preach to others about God.
“Simply
asking that we may love God will never make us love Him; but the longing
to be better
and holier, expressed in daily watchfulness and in striving
to assimilate more of the divine
character, will mould and fashion
us anew, until we awake in His likeness. We reach the
Science of Christianity
through demonstration of the divine nature; but in this wicked world
goodness will ‘be evil spoken of,’ and patience must bring experience.” (S&H
4)
Practice: “Demonstration of the divine nature” means to use in
your daily life the spiritual
qualities and ideas that God gives you.
We don’t just sit around and think about them -- we
do them! Today,
practice expressing the quality of joy. See if you can get others
to smile!
Each Commandment has similar introductory material, and
is followed by a variety
of other questions suitable for various
ages. For example, here are the rest of the
questions relating to the
Third Commandment:
What can we do to make God’s name special?
What
is wrong with just saying prayers? After all, we say the Lord’s Prayer
out loud at
church services.
How did Jesus teach the Third Commandment?
How can we get rid of hypocrisy in our prayers, so that they will
be worthwhile and not in vain?
How can we improve our obedience to
the Third Commandment?
Is it wrong to take an oath, or swear something,
in God’s name?
Would obeying the Third Commandment help you to heal?
