“I Really Appreciate That”

“I Really Appreciate That”

Whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.

Mark 10:44-45

THE THEME OF THE CHRISTIAN life is serving Christ by serving others. Jesus came to earth to serve others—first by his love, his teaching, and his healings, and ultimately by his death. When we serve others, we are not only serving Christ, but we are being Christlike. So why not begin developing an attitude of service in our closest relationship? The fact is, we do acts of service for each other every day. However, we don’t often talk about them, and consequently, we begin to take them for granted.

I want to suggest a little communication exercise that will bring service to the front burner. It’s a game called I Really Appreciate That. Here’s how you play it: The husband might say to the wife, “One way I served you today was by putting away a load of laundry.” The wife might respond, “I really appreciate that.” Then she says, “One way I served you today was by cooking dinner.” The husband responds, “I really appreciate that.” Play the game once a day for a week, and you will become more aware of the acts of service that you are already doing for each other. You will elevate them to a place of importance by talking about them. If you have children, let them hear you playing the game, and they’ll want to get in on the fun.

Lord Jesus, thank you for your example of service. Please transform me more each day into your image. Help us as a couple to serve each other with love and to show our appreciation for each other.

Service