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.

Confidently And Fearlessly Forward!

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.  Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.  For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.  When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Colossians 3:1-4

I am going to open up and be vulnerable here.  There are many things I am fearful of.  These fears have at times entered not only my mind but also my heart.  Sometimes, I am afraid for my children and how the world tries to crush their spirit.  I fear going places because of exterior threats such as acts of violence.  In my lifetime, my fears have included never having a significant other to love me.  As I approach a new milestone in my life, I worry if my life has made a difference, and though my family has plenty, I will fear losing it all in some fashion or another.  They have consumed me and made me at times want to hide in my own bedroom and close the door to the world.  Some of you may have felt any combination of those fears at some point of your life.  Yet looking back when all of those fears were at their heightened state, I still walked out of my bedroom and house into that very world that tells me to run and retreat.  Why?  Why would any of us want to venture into this world that pushes us into these feelings of insecurity?

We do this because we have been born again through Jesus Christ and are thus of God’s Kingdom.  Not of this world.  Through Christ, we find bravery and courage to move forward into a world that tells us we are not good enough.  The distractions that are of this world are made to create a barrier between ourselves and God.  Thus it is easy to understand that as we focus on the world around us, we struggle to see our own goodness and worthiness.  Through a worldly lens, we see others as who we are not, and focus on what we do not have instead of that God has provided.  If we are focused on God with both our minds and hearts, we immediately see our infinite value as His child.  Others become those you can share God’s light with and what we have is seen as what we are blessed with instead of craving that which we do not have.

We are incredibly blessed to be loved by the one true living God!  Knowing this, we can be open about our fears and uncertainties of the world because we are not of it.  We simply overcome them focusing on who we are (God’s child) and what we are certain of; that God loves us so much that He gave His one and only son so that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16).  Do not let this world convince you otherwise.  You may not see yourself of deserving of God’s grace, but none of us are.  You are indeed worthy because through Jesus Christ, you are born again!  What fears and worries are hindering your connection with God?  How can you move forward knowing you are His child?  My prayer is when confronted with worldly insecurities, we affix our hearts and minds on Jesus Christ, and move confidently and fearlessly forward!  Amen.    

Thurs Devo - Valuable Gift

What was the most valuable gift you received this year? What’s the most valuable gift you’ve ever given or received?

Nine years ago on Christmas Eve, Joe surprised me with an engagement ring! Besides being the most valuable material Christmas gift I’ve ever received, I gained Joe as a partner for life!!! The latter is priceless.

Did you know God considers you and me precious and valuable? Jesus purchased us back as a valuable gift for God.

Revelation 5:7-10     ⁷ He [the Lamb] went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne. ⁸ And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God’s people. ⁹ And they sang a new song, saying:

“You are worthy to take the scroll
    and to open its seals,
because you were slain,
    and with your blood you purchased for God
    persons from every tribe and language and people and nation.
¹⁰ You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God,
    and they will reign on the earth.”

Knowing how valuable you, your prayers and your service are to God, what priorities and goals will you set for this New Year?

Happy New Year!
Alice