The Name Above All Names

In the past — and sometimes my old self still comes out unknowingly — I have used the Lord’s name without thought. Many of us do. Words like “Jesus Christ!” or “oh my God” slip out as if they were empty expressions, without realizing how dishonoring that is to His holy name.

Yet Jesus Christ, God Himself, taught us to pray with reverence:
“Hallowed be Your name.” (Matthew 6:9)

His name is not casual. It is weighty, sacred, and set apart.

Even the demons and fallen angels, though they hate Him, do not dare dishonor His name. They bow, they tremble, they run when His name is spoken (Philippians 2:10; James 2:19). If even the enemies of God recognize His authority, how much more should His children carry His name with awe and love?

Generations before us trembled at His name. Some would not even speak it aloud — not because they lacked love, but because their reverence was too deep. And here we are, in a world that uses His name as a casual punchline.

The faithful voices of the past call us back to reverence:

Augustine (4th century):
“We do not mean that God’s name becomes holy, but that it may be held holy by men; that He may be glorified by us.”

John Calvin (16th century):
“The name of God is sanctified when it is given the honor it deserves, so that men do not think or speak of Him without reverence.”

Martin Luther (16th century):
“God’s name is indeed holy in itself, but we pray in this petition that it may be holy among us also… profaned among us by false teaching and an ungodly life.”

Charles Spurgeon (19th century):
“When we say, ‘Hallowed be Thy name,’ we pray that He may be known, loved, feared, and that His name may be honored by every creature according to His excellent greatness.”

Spurgeon often warned how lightly people use God’s name in oaths, jokes, and idle talk. He urged Christians to be different.

And I believe we can be. When I stop and whisper with intention, “Lord, Your name is holy,” something shifts inside. My heart softens. My eyes clear. The chaos quiets. His holiness realigns my soul.

I carry also the memory of my father’s final days. He slipped into a coma, but awoke for three brief days. When his eyes opened, he whispered:

“I can’t even dare to speak His name… and He told me to go apologize to the ones I hurt.”

Now I understand what he meant. Even at the edge of eternity, he felt the weight of God’s holiness and the sacredness of His name. Reverence and repentance walked hand in hand.

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To honor His name is to bow in awe, to walk in humility, and to let His holiness reshape our lives.

— Arete Gune