Jesus - the life and soul of the party

I was reminded this morning that if the average person were to draw up an ideal guest list for people they wanted to come to a party, Jesus would probably not be included. This is a shame, because during his ministry he was widely known as 'Jesus, the party animal' (I paraphrase).

This has made me realise that I am currently carrying around in my mind the wrong picture of Jesus. I imagine him as a kind of life coach hovering over my shoulder making sure I am worthy in character and effective in ministry. This leads to the following:

1. I find the thought of spending time with Jesus (in prayer for example) something of a chore rather than a pleasure.
2. I am willing to put up with his presence (and indeed expect it) when I am working or engaged in any kind of Christian activity, but I ignore him when I want to relax or have a laugh.
3. The concepts of faith and work are becoming linked in my mind. For example, this supposedly spiritual journal is turning (like all my other attempts to keep a journal) into a record of how much or how little I am achieving.
4. I focus more on trying to please God than on simply enjoying God.
5. If this continues I will end up preaching a dry gospel of "knuckle down and behave yourself" instead of a living gospel of "Rejoice! Jesus loves you!"

So, I'm sorry, Lord, for neglecting your simple non-judgemental friendship. For what remains of the day, let's stick together and enjoy it, shall we?