Text Savvy
Dear Auntie Agony,
I know I shouldn’t say “Oh my God” but is it ok to text “OMG” since I’m not typing out “God?”
Names are really important. They represent the person or thing that carries the name. One of the ways God showed Adam that He was giving Adam authority and power was by allowing Adam to name the animals. It was an important task.
When you get a new pet, a lot of thought goes into the name. Whenever I write a book, I give a lot of thought to naming the characters. One time I wanted to name the mean girl in a book Shayla. Why? Because when I was a girl, I knew a really mean person named Shayla. To me the name Shayla meant mean. When I want to name a kind character, I often choose a name that reminds me of kindness.
God is the “most” of everything good – most powerful, most kind, most wise. His name represents Him, too. The Bible tells us that Jesus is the name above all names. Why? Because Jesus is the One above all others. There is a power in the name of God. Like anything else with power, we don’t want to misuse it. God deserves all of our respect. Like anyone else’s name, God’s name represents Him. We don’t want to misuse it, either.
How can you misuse God’s name? Anytime you use the name of God or Jesus without talking respectfully to or about Him, you’re misusing His name. Saying “Oh my God” or texting “OMG” is not calling upon God. It’s misusing His name to show amazement. And even though in a text you aren’t typing out “God” it’s understood what the “G” stands for. Most people who say “Oh My God” or text “OMG” — don’t really understand what they’re doing. They’re just using them out of habit or because everyone else does it. We shouldn’t judge those people or think unkindly toward them, but we can set a good example. You can certainly say “incredible,” or text “wow” with just as much effect. “Wow” even has the same number of letters and you won’t be thoughtlessly misusing the name of the One you love.
You must not use the name of the Lord your God thoughtlessly. The Lord will punish anyone who is guilty and misuses his name.
Exodus 20:7