Wednesday, May 25, 2016

Appreciation Station

I always thank my God for you and for the gracious gifts he has given you, now that you belong to Christ Jesus.  Through him, God has enriched your church in every way—with all of your eloquent words and all of your knowledge.  This confirms that what I told you about Christ is true.  Now you have every spiritual gift you need as you eagerly wait for the return of our Lord Jesus Christ.  1 Corinthians 1:4-7

The other day, someone asked me how do you stay young?  That’s a pretty loaded question considering that I will soon turn fifty, but nonetheless, I took it as an opportunity to share some of the things that have helped me maintain a youthful attitude.  One of those things focused on the appreciation of others.  Why would that be important to my own youthfulness?  You see, it is very easy to focus on the things that go on in your own life.  However when you focus on the wonderful and brilliance of others, you go beyond affecting your own life.  You directly impact the mood and ambitions of someone else as well.  There is nothing more powerful to say to another person than I love you, and yet, I believe there is nothing more motivating to another person than to say, “I appreciate you.”

God expects us to appreciate the potential of all people through Jesus Christ.  When reading the words of Paul, I love how great an encourager he is.  At the beginning of 1 Corinthians, he displayed an ‘attitude of gratitude’ to the church of Corinth and its people.  Reading his words, you have the feeling of a deep relationship he has with them.  Paul shows genuine love and appreciation for them, and if we were members of that early church, we would feel a great deal of encouragement and strength from him.  Furthermore, Paul himself gained strength from them as well.  Thus, the relationship between Paul and the church was mutually beneficial.  As such, our words of appreciation for others have similar effects.  They can strengthen relationships, inspire others, and break down barriers!  What can be more encouraging to a person struggling with something than to hear they are loved and despite their struggles, they are appreciated for what they have brought in your life.


We are to appreciate others for it is paramount to building God’s Kingdom.  Peter, who correctly identified Jesus as the Messiah, had to feel encouraged as Jesus responded to him in appreciation saying, “You are blessed, Simon son of John, because my Father in heaven has revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any human being.  Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’), and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it.” (Matthew 16:17-18)  Appreciating others is necessary for and if we accept and love Christ, our hearts will be transformed such that we will see the greatness of not only others but also within ourselves.  And what can be better than seeing how great we can be through Christ?  Who could you show greater appreciation for?  How can you allow God to help you appreciate others?  My prayer is that we open our hearts where we become an ‘Appreciation Station.’  Amen.

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