God.

I think we are all like Paul some days.

What we want to do, we don’t do. What we don’t want to do, we do.

I know, God, that Paul wasn’t talking about fitness goals or writing goals. He wasn’t talking about mid-year resolutions.

He was talking about doing good and doing bad.

“I want to be kind to people who disagree, but when she says those things, I just want to scream at her.”

“I want to love my brother, but when my spiritual brother does foolish things, I just have to tell everyone what a fool he is. On Facebook.”

I know that you love everyone, God, and you call us to love one another, and you tell us that the way people will know we are your followers is by our love, but you can’t expect me to keep that up with everything going on right now.

Except you can. And you do.

We confess that we react with words rather that responding with prayer.

We confess that we forget that calling people names and questioning their intelligence and doubting their love for you is sin. I am assuming your role, rather than living in my role.

What we want, deep down, is to be like you, Jesus.

What we want, deep down, is to be unlike us, Jesus.

What you want, deep down, is for us to live like you in our bodies with our skills and our experiences and our relationships and our passion.

What you want for us is to live the life you delivered us for.

May we today stop wanting to do good and simply follow you.

Because that is good.

Amen.

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Reflecting on Romans 7:15-25