Brown Cocaine

It’s kind of like chocolate covered peanuts. Yeah, that’s right chocolate covered peanuts. That’s probably what you call them. I call them “brown cocaine.” They are addictive! Every once in a while, especially around Christmas, we get some of those. Someone may give them as a Christmas gift or something. Right now, even though we’re a ways from Christmas, there are some sitting in the top rack of our pantry at home. I know where they are because every night at about 9 pm, they call my name. I think to myself, “I’ll just eat one. I know I promised myself I wouldn’t do it, but how bad can eating just one be? Besides, peanuts are protein: they’re good for you!” I finally give in and eat one. Then one becomes two and two becomes five and, before you know it five becomes ten.

Now what’s the problem here? Is there someone standing by my pantry with a gun pointed to my head demanding that I eat that “brown cocaine?” Well, I’d like to make that excuse, perhaps, but I really can’t. I’m eating them because I desire them. For those few minutes all I can think about are chocolate covered peanuts.

That’s the way worship is to be to us. No one is to stand over us with a gun at our heads forcing us to have a conversation with the Lord. Quite the contrary: it is something that is to be as natural to us as breathing. It is something that we are to desire as much as I desire those chocolate covered peanuts.