Show Appreciation - Stephanas, Fortunatus, And Achaicus

I am very glad that Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus have come here. They have been providing the help you weren’t here to give me. They have been a wonderful encouragement to me, as they have been to you. You must show your appreciation to all who serve so well.

1 Corinthians 16:17-18

“Would it kill you to just once in a while show some appreciation for the things I do around here?” a frustrated wife challenged her loving but sometimes thoughtless husband.

No, it wouldn’t have killed him; he just hadn’t thought of doing it.

Everyone likes words of thanks and gestures of appreciation. We feel especially blessed when someone takes the time and effort to say thank you for something we’ve done.

The apostle Paul made a practice of giving and receiving appreciation. He made a point of showing and telling his fellow believers in Corinth how to express their appreciation to those who had faithfully served them.

Paul took the time to praise Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus, three Corinthian believers who traveled out of their way to encourage and assist Paul in his ministry. He gave these men a verbal pat on the back for their service and used his first letter to the Corinthians to encourage the believers there to show their appreciation for everyone who served them.

This was important enough to Paul that he didn’t just suggest that people show their appreciation; he commanded it, saying, “You must show your appreciation to all who serve so well.”

Some men—even some men of God—sometimes forget to express their thanks, but getting into the habit of showing appreciation is as easy as following Paul’s example. Why not go out of your way to say thank you to the people who make your life better? You’ll be blessed when you offer your thanks, and so will they!

Take time today to show appreciation for the things others do for you. Thank your wife for what she does to make your life more comfortable, your children for something they have done well, and your parents for giving you life.