Upside Down and Backwards

Hey Guys- A quick question- How would you describe your temperament? Are you patient, aggressive, confrontational, easy going, introverted, outgoing, on edge, controlling............you name it! A second question- What are your favorite depictions of Jesus in the scriptures? Is it how He really gets after the Pharisees or his tenderness with the woman at the well? Is it how He washed the disciples feet or the picture of Him in Revelation with Blazing Eyes and a Sword coming out of His mouth? Which flavor of Jesus do you like best? If you are like me at all (human and messed up) you might find that what appeals to you about Jesus matches your temperament. Oswald Chambers says our Faith develops along the line of our temperament. We are- I am- so upside down and backwards! Isn't following Jesus supposed to be life changing? How the heck is He going to change me or my life if I just keep running to what I like about Him- To the ways He affirms me. I gravitate to the stories of Jesus that appeal to me most. It is such idolatry- I might as well go the whole way and create my own god- a god who makes me feel good. As Patrick Morley says, I only seem be committed to the god I want- not the God Who Is. When I was a teen ager I loved the band Jethro Tull. On the back of one album cover (Aqualung) the band turned around the creation account from scripture and wrote- "In the beginning Man created god" Was it sacriligious? Absolutely! Are we guilty of trying to do it? Absolutely! Why else would God give us the command about no graven images? I love the prayer scene in "The Ballad of Ricky Bobby" where the family is torn between wanting to pray to the baby Jesus in the manger or the Jesus on the Cross. The Jesus on the Cross is just so messy. Father forgive me for all the times I pass right over the parts of You that don't appeal to my temperament. Help me to see You as You are. Move in me to to be conformed to the reality of Jesus. Amen