July 11, 2010 (enter my heart)

enter my heart

“I confess, O God—
that often I let my mind wander
down unclean and forbidden ways:
that often I deceive myself
as to where my plain duty lies:
that often, by concealing my real motives,
I pretend to be better than I am:
that often my honesty
is only a matter of policy:
that often my affection for my friends
is only a refined form of caring for myself:
that often my sparing of my enemy
is due to nothing more than cowardice:
that often I do good deeds
only that they may be seen of men,
and shun evil ones only
because I fear they may be found out.
O holy One, let the fire of Your love
enter my heart, and burn up
all this coil of meanness and hypocrisy,
and make my heart
as the heart of a little child.”
- John Baillie