EXC Daily Office: We Don't Want You

Dear LORD,

I know that many of us have made our idols. I know that there are various reasons for it. Your way in this world is difficult, and not because it makes life uncomfortable or unfulfilling, but instead because it is not accepted by everyone else. If I truly want to live according to Your priorities, many people would think I was crazy, including my wife, family and perhaps, many in my church.

You are characterized by giving. Within Your triune nature, You give and love between all. It's as if at the core of the universe is a generous and loving power. Well, not as if, it is that way. But the anti-christ aspect in me is my love of acquistion. I want to gain instead of give. I want beautiful experiences, bigger musces, lots of success and more knowledge. I want to have these things. I want to keep these things. All of these things can become my idols.

One big area I'm concerned about right now is how easily we will trade You for success, immediate success and celebration that is. In the daily office passage today, Moses is gone for awhile and the people get restless. So they seek to fill their needs (spiritual) with a golden calf, much more readily available in their perception than You are. In fact, when You tried to meet them they asked You to stay away. How true is Jesus' story in Luke, about the people who did not like their king. We do not want You.

So that's the problem. You want us, we don't want You. We want a million different things, but they are not You. And to make this more personal, I do not want You. What else is there for me to do? Well I want a million different things as well. I want the church to succeed and to transform the lives of the members. And while that is all well and good, it is not wanting You. I want to spend time with my wife and my son and strengthen those relationships. But that is not wanting You. I want to see and contribute to my tennis team's successs. But that is not wanting You. I want to eat really good food and lots of it but somehow work out hard enough to burn that weight off and be skinny and sexy. But that is not wanting You.

You are loving and giving, giving and loving. Can I want that? Oh LORD, I pray that You can give me the desires of my heart. Give me the desires of Your heart. And breathe that into all of Exodus.

Hear my prayer, excellent God.