Daley Ponderings

First I ask, what does "taking the name of the LORD" mean?  Well, God himself makes our relationship with him analogous to the marriage relationship.  So this is where my thinking is going.

When I married Jon, I took his name.  Now, everything I do affects how people think of the name "Daley."  Not only that in general, but how they think of my husband in particular.
  Who I am and how I act is part of what makes our family.

So, one sense of taking the family name in vain is to ignore all these repercussions and act in a selfish way, not caring how it affects my husband and family.

This helps me extend the idea to being in God's family.  When I became a Christian, I took the name of Christ - on the one hand, as an adopted child, taking His name as an heir, and additionally, as part of the bride of Christ, taking His name in marriage.  So I must consider my actions and attitudes in addition to my words (and the way I say them!) as reflecting on His name.

How many thousands (millions?) of people in our country have been and are turned away from following Christ because those who take His name do so in vain!

May my life be a reflection of Christ.  May I call Him Lord in my actions as well as my words.  Oh, God, let me not take Your name in vain - may my life be lived such that those who see me want to become part of the family, too!