| “God exalted him [Jesus] to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every other name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” |
| —Philippians 2:9-11 |
How often do you hear the name of Jesus during your daily activities? How often is His name used as a curse word, or a word of exclamation, or a word of surprise? We live in an ever-coarsening culture. In my daily work at an insurance company for nearly 30 years, I heard the name of Jesus dozens of times each day. Never once was His name spoken in love, with affection, with honor, or with praise. It was always—always—spoken as a curse word.
And, do you know what is the saddest part of such a constant exposure to an improper use of the name of our Lord has on one’s life? To my absolute horror, in a moment of surprise, or of unanticipated pain, I would utter His name in a dishonoring way myself! How terrible that is! Having heard my Savior’s name used improperly so often, I am agonized to confess that the improper use of His name occasionally found its way into my own vocabulary. That reality is shameful, absolutely shameful!
That’s one of the dangers of living in an ever-coarsening world. Oh that the Holy Spirit would guard our ears and our minds to deafen us to such a besmirching of the greatest of all names, the name of Jesus. Instead, we should embrace the words of the Apostle Paul, as recorded in Philippians 2:9-11:
God exalted him [Jesus] to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every other name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
May this new day be a day wherein we determine to do everything in our power to make the name of our Savior precious, magnificent, and one we will not dishonor. May we guard our tongues, our hearts, and our minds. May the name of Jesus become so important to us that we would never use His name in an improper way. Let us fervently pray:
Cleanse our minds, hearts, and mouths, O Lord. Let our lips only speak words of truth and praise. Help us in our weakness and forgive our foolish ways. For the sake of your Son, Jesus, our Savior, Lord, and King. Amen.
Based on a blog originally posted on Monday, October 29, 2018
