Appreciate Others

Our ‘stuff’ won’t travel with us to heaven. Eternal treasure isn’t about possessions; it must have something to do with the people who join us there. Jesus came to seek and save us. He laid aside his glory and majesty to come as a humble baby. He went on to live in submission to his parents, to learn, grow up, teach, serve, suffer, and die for us. Everything he did was for us.

I am tempted at times to think of others as obstacles. Often, my interest in others is only in what they can do for me. In traffic or in a shopping center, I catch myself hoping people will get out of my way. I’m not proud of this attitude. It’s something I battle.

But notice how important people were to Jesus all throughout the Scriptures. If we want Jesus to join us in our workplaces and our schools, we must ask him to help reprogram our minds. One way to do that is to ask God to help you appreciate the treasure in others. Everyone we meet and everyone he brings to our mind is valuable to him and should be valuable to us.

In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul reminds the Corinthians that love matters more than anything else. If we do all the right things but don’t love others, nothing else counts. Appreciation is just business-speak for love. We want to help others feel appreciated, we want to act on their behalf and in their best interests.

As Christ-followers, we understand that Jesus died for others because God loves every person. So why don’t we love people more? We can start today. You can begin by asking God to bring someone to mind and rise to the occasion by sending them a text or an email. You can mention the qualities God most enjoys about them. Even if you don’t love them very much, ask God to help you get to know them better and grow in your love for them. Ask questions. See if you can find what God enjoys about them. Allow yourself to enjoy them, and ask God to give you a greater appreciation in your heart for others.

Today, do anything you can to show appreciation to them and to help them move closer to Jesus.