November 8 2019

The wrong way

Wrong way traffic sign and safety cones.

Scripture for today: Luke 18:9-14

The other day, I was on my way to a meeting at a church that I had never been to before. I came to a red light and could see the church a few blocks away. I looked to my left. No cars were coming, so I proceeded to turn right. Unfortunately, that right turn quickly became a wrong turn. In a split second, two lanes of cars began driving in my direction. I was going the wrong way on a one-way street.

I was driving where I wanted to go, but I was doing it the wrong way.

Did you know that there is also a wrong way to be thankful? In Luke 18:9-14, Jesus tells the story about a Pharisee who was “thankful.” The only problem was he was thankful for the wrong things. He thanked God for his own accomplishments and for his perception that he was not as wicked as the people around him.

Thanking God for your own self-righteousness is not showing appreciation to God. It is showing arrogance in yourself. This is why Jesus said in verse 14, “Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

As you pray, do so in humility, thanking God for how great he is—not how great you are.