You Can Have a Ministry of Appreciation
By Rick Warren
“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths,but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen” (Ephesians 4:29 NIV).
Radical gratitude means you’re going to walk through life being grateful in every situation, no matter what — in times of plenty, when times are tight, when times are good, bad, right, wrong, whatever. You can develop an attitude of gratitude by choosing to be grateful in every situation. The attitude of radical gratitude actually serves others. It becomes a ministry.
Every believer is a minister. You are a minister! Every Christian is a minister, which means we are to serve other people. We’re saved to serve. You can have a ministry called the ministry of appreciation.
Do you know what the word “appreciation” means? If you’ve ever bought a car, you know the meaning of depreciation. The moment you drive it off the lot, it’s worth less than you paid for it, even if it’s a brand-new vehicle. Depreciation means to decrease in value. Appreciation means to raise in value — and it is a ministry.
When you appreciate your husband, you raise his value. When you appreciate your wife, you raise her value. When you appreciate your kids, you raise their value. When you appreciate your co-workers, you raise their value to you and to the company. When you appreciate your boss, you raise his or her value.
The ministry of appreciation raises the value of people. That’s why God says radical gratitude is a ministry. You can make a ministry out of raising the value of people simply by appreciating them.
One of the things I’ve discovered is that everybody in life needs massive doses of encouragement. I’ve never met anybody who’s said, “Oh no! I don’t need a compliment! I have too many. Please, stop! I’m too affirmed. Don’t give me any more.” You have an unqualified need to be affirmed, to be loved, to be appreciated — and so does everybody else. If you want to be used by God, here’s one way: Affirm everybody. Appreciate everybody. Show gratitude to everybody.
PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >>
Talk It Over
How does it feel when someone shows appreciation to you?
What are some ways you can show appreciation besides speaking?
How have other people’s appreciation and affirmation drawn you closer to God?
For more Daily Hope with Rick Warren, please visit pastorrick.com!
Put Jesus at the center of your Christmas!
Many people step into the Christmas season run down and worn out. And by the time January rolls around, they’re so exhausted that they’ve completely missed the real reason for the season.
But there’s really no better time to recalibrate your heart toward Jesus than during the holidays. And Pastor Rick Warren’s book, The Purpose of Christmas, can help you fill your Christmas with more of God’s love and peace by making Christ the center of your life.
This resource shows you . . .
• What Christmas means for your salvation
• How to surrender to God’s will
• Practical steps to overcome discouragement
• Why we celebrate Christmas at all
• How Christmas can be a time to make peace with others
The Purpose of Christmas is our way to thank you for your gift below to help more people learn, love, and live the Word – so request your copy when you give!
From all of us at Daily Hope, may you experience God’s peace and joy this holiday season!
This devotional © 2017 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
You can listen to Rick Warren on OnePlace.com.
