Do you take your sin seriously?

There have been times through out my life that I have not taken my sin
seriously. One thing that I know for sure is that Jesus took my sin and the
worlds sin seriously enough to go to the cross. I have a friend that told
me that he prays 2 specific prayers for me. First, that I stay humble,
second that I see my wretchedness and sin before God. There is a story in
Luke that shows the contrast of how most people live. Luke 18:10 “Two men
went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax
collector. 11 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. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all
that I possess.’ 13 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!’ 14 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.” There are still
times, my mind is that of the Pharisee. I try to live my life with with the
heart like the tax collector, and all I can say is "God, be merciful to me
a sinner!"

Douglas