Question 1

Whom should we appreciate?

Accepted Answer

1 Chronicles 16:34Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.Psalm 138:2-3I bow before your holy Temple as I worship. I praise your name for your unfailing love and faithfulness; for your promises are backed by all the honor of your name. As soon as I pray, you answer me; you encourage me by giving me strength.1 Corinthians 15:57But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.2 Corinthians 9:15Thank God for this gift too wonderful for words!Philippians 4:19This same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.We ought to appreciate God—who he is, what he’s done, what he does, and what he will do.Proverbs 18:22The man who finds a wife finds a treasure, and he receives favor from the Lord.Proverbs 19:14Fathers can give their sons an inheritance of houses and wealth, but only the Lord can give an understanding wife.Proverbs 31:10Who can find a virtuous and capable wife? She is more precious than rubies.1 Corinthians 7:14The believing wife brings holiness to her marriage, and the believing husband brings holiness to his marriage. Otherwise, your children would not be holy, but now they are holy.Ephesians 5:22-24For wives, this means submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For a husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Savior of his body, the church. As the church submits to Christ, so you wives should submit to your husbands in everything.Ephesians 5:25For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her.1 Peter 3:1In the same way, you wives must accept the authority of your husbands. Then, even if some refuse to obey the Good News, your godly lives will speak to them without any words. They will be won over.Husbands and wives must put a priority on appreciating each other’s love, sacrifice, and unique roles they play in contributing to a healthy marriage.Psalm 127:3-4Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him. Children born to a young man are like arrows in a warrior’s hands.Psalm 128:3-4Your wife will be like a fruitful grapevine, flourishing within your home. Your children will be like vigorous young olive trees as they sit around your table. That is the Lord’s blessing for those who fear him.Proverbs 23:24The father of godly children has cause for joy. What a pleasure to have children who are wise.Children are gifts from God. Parents and grandparents should celebrate them, love them, spend time with them, honor them, and help them grow in the Lord.Proverbs 17:6Grandchildren are the crowning glory of the aged; parents are the pride of their children.Proverbs 19:18Discipline your children while there is hope. Otherwise you will ruin their lives.Proverbs 22:6Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it.We should appreciate the love and discipline of our parents. We should share that love and discipline with our children.1 Thessalonians 5:12-13Dear brothers and sisters, honor those who are your leaders in the Lord’s work. They work hard among you and give you spiritual guidance. Show them great respect and wholehearted love because of their work.Hebrews 13:7Remember your leaders who first taught you the word of God. Think of all the good that has come from their lives, and trust the Lord as they do.Hebrews 13:17Obey your spiritual leaders, and do what they say. Their work is to watch over your souls, and they are accountable to God. Give them reason to do this with joy and not with sorrow.Our spiritual leaders deserve our appreciation.1 Thessalonians 1:2-4We always thank God for all of you and pray for you constantly. As we pray to our God and Father about you, we think of your faithful work, your loving deeds, and the enduring hope you have because of our Lord Jesus Christ.We are to appreciate our fellow Christians, other believers who share the same God and the same beliefs, and with whom we will share eternity.

Question 2

How can I let God know I appreciate him?

Accepted Answer

1 Chronicles 16:7-9On that day David gave to Asaph and his fellow Levites this song of thanksgiving to the Lord: Give thanks to the Lord and proclaim his greatness. Let the whole world know what he has done. Sing to him; yes, sing his praises. Tell everyone about his wonderful deeds.Psalm 100:4-5Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and bless his name. For the Lord is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation.Psalm 101:1I will sing of your love and justice. I will praise you, Lord, with songs.Psalm 116:17I will offer you a sacrifice of thanksgiving and call on the name of the Lord.Psalm 147:7Sing out your thanks to the Lord; sing praises to our God with a harp.Colossians 2:7Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.Colossians 3:16Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives . . . Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts.We can show our appreciation for God by praising and honoring him with instrumental and vocal music, prayer, meditation, celebration, giving, and worship. Seeking God first and obeying him (Matthew 6:33) will display our gratitude to him.

Question 3

How can I let others know I appreciate them?

Accepted Answer

Proverbs 31:28-31Her children stand and bless her. Her husband praises her: “There are many virtuous and capable women in the world, but you surpass them all!” . . . Reward her for all she has done.Colossians 3:18Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting for those who belong to the Lord.1 Peter 3:7In the same way, you husbands must give honor to your wives. Treat your wife with understanding as you live together. She may be weaker than you are, but she is your equal partner in God’s gift of new life. Treat her as you should so your prayers will not be hindered.Husbands and wives can show their appreciation for each other by honoring one another, both in private and in public. Children can show their appreciation by listening to their parents, obeying them, and saying thank you.Hebrews 13:7Remember your leaders who taught you the word of God. Think of all the good that has come from their lives, and follow the example of their faith.We demonstrate to our godly leaders that we appreciate them by following their example in trusting God.Ephesians 1:16-17I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly, asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God.We can pray for those we appreciate and thank God for them. Then we can tell them that we thanked God for them in prayer.Luke 17:12-18As he entered a village there, ten men with leprosy stood at a distance, crying out, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” He looked at them and said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed of their leprosy. One of them, when he saw that he was healed, came back to Jesus, shouting, “Praise God!” He fell to the ground at Jesus’ feet, thanking him for what he had done. This man was a Samaritan. Jesus asked, “Didn’t I heal ten men? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?”We often overlook the simplest form of showing appreciation: saying “Thank you.” Every day provides many opportunities to say “thank you” to someone. We should make this a habit.Numbers 10:29-32One day Moses said to his brother-in-law, Hobab son of Reuel the Midianite, “We are on our way to the place the Lord promised us, for he said, ‘I will give it to you.’ Come with us and we will treat you well, for the Lord has promised wonderful blessings for Israel!” But Hobab replied, “No, I will not go. I must return to my own land and family.” “Please don’t leave us,” Moses pleaded. “You know the places in the wilderness where we should camp. Come, be our guide. If you do, we’ll share with you all the blessings the Lord gives us.”We can voice our appreciation for another’s talents and skills. Then we can share our feelings of appreciation with that person.Acts 28:8-10As it happened, Publius’s father was ill with fever and dysentery. Paul went in and prayed for him, and laying his hands on him, he healed him. Then all the other sick people on the island came and were healed. As a result we were showered with honors, and when the time came to sail, people supplied us with everything we would need for the trip.Meeting the physical needs of others is a tangible form of appreciation, demonstrating that they are valuable to us and that we care for them.Luke 7:44-48Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Look at this woman kneeling here. When I entered your home, you didn’t offer me water to wash the dust from my feet, but she has washed them with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You didn’t greet me with a kiss, but from the time I first came in, she has not stopped kissing my feet. You neglected the courtesy of olive oil to anoint my head, but she has anointed my feet with rare perfume. I tell you, her sins—and they are many—have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love. But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love.” Then Jesus said to the woman, “Your sins are forgiven.”Our actions can show our appreciation.

Question 4

Why should I appreciate “the little things in life?”

Accepted Answer

Psalm 92:1-2It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to the Most High. It is good to proclaim your unfailing love in the morning, your faithfulness in the evening.Philippians 1:3-4Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God. Whenever I pray, I make my requests for all of you with joy.1 Thessalonians 5:18Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.We can easily take many of God’s gifts for granted—things large and small (relationships, health, shelter, food, safety, church, etc.). We should see all our “blessings” as from God and be grateful for them. A good way to experience God is to notice and appreciate the little blessings all around us. Turning our focus outward helps us see much for which to be thankful. Rather than saying, “I wish,” we could try saying, “I’m thankful.” We can cultivate an appreciative heart by giving thanks regularly, consistently, and spontaneously—to God first and also to others. This kind of attitude will help keep life’s disappointments from blinding us to what God is doing here and now. Every moment is an opportunity to see God’s provision and presence.

Question 5

How can I become more appreciative?

Accepted Answer

1 Chronicles 23:30Each morning and evening they stood before the Lord to sing songs of thanks and praise to him.Psalm 35:28Then I will proclaim your justice, and I will praise you all day long.Colossians 3:15Let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.We can become more appreciative by thanking God and others regularly, consistently, and spontaneously. We should cultivate the habit of appreciation.

Appreciation