Total Depravity

Unfortunately, these two words have a totally different notion attached than what I'm talking about, however, it does add to the point that I would like to make. Often this phrase is used with the focus on the man. There is almost never a context with which it is used without comparison, and even less frequently is it heard being used to honor God and the way that God describes man in places like Psalm 8, or 82. In my experience, it almost never conjures the effect of repentance, rather, it conjures feelings of worthlessness, self-hatred, and doubt. Often it is attached to the predisposition that a man could never be righteous, and even more frustratingly is used by pastors and preachers to make someone feel awful about themselves. 

All this is done whilst keeping the focus on the man, and forcing the person to look into themselves. Jesus wasn't just building self-awareness in his disciples though, He was building awareness of what He was doing in them. To me, what Jesus is doing inside of me is infinitely more valuable to me than knowing how bad of a person I can be. I think the way that this function is designed goes a little bit like this: You look inside yourself, you see the purity, the God-honoring thoughts, and processes that you have started to live and have, and then you turn your focus to the Person who put those thoughts and ways inside of you and worship with abandon and awe. In many ways, we were meant to build up our activity of judging and discerning, yet there is a redemptive version of judging, and then there's the version that the enemy does. The enemy of God only looks at the bad things, only discerns the hurtful ways within you. Then there's the positivity movement that only looks at the good things inside of you. They're both wrong, but they both need each other to be fully truthful. 

As far as I'm concerned being "good" according to Jesus is a title only God gets. I think "being right" is the exact same, and to be good is to be right. Very few people are ever 'right' and far fewer are 'always right.' I would even go so far to say that it is impossible to always be right, but Jesus says that with God all things are possible. So to me, the only goal we should have is to be with God. With God, we can judge righteously. With God, we can have the perspective that is wholesome and true. With God, we can see people the way He sees them, and see ourselves the way He sees us.

God is capable of anger and wrath. God is capable of being mad at you. God is much more prone to being radically in love with you, and as such is the single most attractive being ever. Just learn to live in that.