“GOD, I THANK YOU . . .”

God, I thank You that . . .

. . . I’m a good person.

. . . I know about You.

. . . I’m respected by others.

. . . I’m successful.

. . . I live a clean life.

. . . I do good in the community.

. . . I have a good reputation.

. . . I can do without church.

. . . I consider myself a Christian.

God, I thank You that . . .

. . . I’m not like those who cheat on their taxes.

. . . I’m not like those who cheat on their wives.

. . . I’m not like those who cheat on their company.

. . . I’m not like those who cheat on their customers.

. . . I don’t lie.

. . . I’m not in trouble.

. . . I’m not a hypocrite.

. . . I’m not like church-goers who treated me wrong.

. . . I’m not the guilty one in personal conflict.

. . . I’m not part of fake church.

. . . I don’t associate with hypocrites.

. . . I’m not like so-and-so and so-and-so and so-and-so.*

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Jesus spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’ And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
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*Addendum to the parable:
God, I thank You that I’m not like the Pharisee—my heart is in the right place.

*Addendum to another parable:
God, I thank You that I’m not like the rich man farmer who “had much goods stored up for many years . . . to take it easy”—my heart is in the right place.

*And in the actual story of an encounter with Jesus:
God, I thank You that I’m not like the rich, young leader who couldn’t give up his “great possessions” to follow Jesus—my heart is in the right place.