"I Appreciate You"
Daily Devotionals - By Love Transformed
Written by R.T. Kendall  
Friday, 20 April 2012 12:00 AM EDT

Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you. —1 Thessalonians 5:12

Showing gratitude must not be done only to God. We all need to remember to show appreciation to people. Paul said, "I am obligated to both Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish. That is why I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are at Rome" (Rom. 1:14-15). He showed gratitude by what he did. His ultimate gratitude was, of course, to God, but he was not unaware of how God used people to bless him. Read Romans 16. It is largely written to thank people! Paul wanted to show how grateful he was by his actions. We are all obligated to people who have helped us. We may not always be able to show it to the very people, however much we would like to, but we can act upon what they have given us and do good to others.

I am very grateful to preachers and teachers in my past. My first pastor was Rev. Gene Phillips. He could not know how his life impacted me during the first few years of my life. I could go on and on naming people whose lives made me want to pray more. And yet I thank these men best by living a life that honors them.

It has been my practice to thank people, then, if I can, when they are still alive. People like compliments. I know I do. Do you? Tell people when they are a blessing to you. It may be the first time anyone has taken the time to speak a blessing to them. Your kind word of appreciation may come to them when they have had a bad day and lift them up!

Excerpted from Just Say Thanks! (Charisma House, 2005).

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#5 B.J.Stone 2011-04-20 07:37
We appreciate YOU 'Charisma' and all who work hard in service first to our Lord and Savior JC. Also appreciate ALL who take time to write in their comments (exception: only those WEB advertising THEMSELVES)
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#4 Guest 2010-04-25 13:12
More then thanking directly to people who mean to us, in various walks of life. Paul always in the beginning of his letters to the Romans, Philippiansand colossians always thanks God through Jesus Christ for all, as then the blessings of God through Christ will be direct on the person who we intend for. Which i feel is more appropriate.
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#3 Guest 2010-04-20 20:18
Fantastic story! Thanks for sharing ! :-)
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#2 Guest 2010-04-20 07:05
Pastor Taiwo sowed the seed of Praise and worship in my life. I really do appreciate him. Pastor Tina taught me how to practicalise the word of God while Dr Olukoya is teaching me spiritual warfare. I appreciate all the men and women of God that have passed through my life in different seasons. i remember Late Pastor Mrs Bimbo Odukoya. I love them all.
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#1 Tom Winfield 2009-04-20 03:59
John Osteeen, pastor of Lakewood Church, Houston, was my pastor for three years. He used to make us all laugh, saying--"If you want to give me flowers, give them to me now. Don't come lay them on my grave." I should have given him a bunch, for giving me nuggets of faith that I took with me. His teachings on faith made a lot of sense. He would say, "Now is the time to get faith, not after the day of evil comes to your house. If you want to survive it, you better get some faith now." I loved his teaching on "The Midnight Hour," about Paul and Silas, beaten and locked in jail, praying and worshiping God at their own midnight hour; and what God did for them, how He delivered them. Pastor John taught us the Bible, and faith in God, the very things you need to make it. Yep, I shoulda sent him a big bunch of flowers. Now he's gone Home, and all I can do is tell others what he did for me. I can say the same about his wife, Dodie, who taught us all what it is to fight the fight of faith, by diligently believing God's word, and diligently seeking Him, even to dancing before Him in her bedroom, even as cancer of the liver ate way at her. She set an example for all of us, because God honored her faith and worship, her refusal to miss even one Sunday morning service, by healing her. Her doctor came to church and told us, "I have examined her thoroughly, and I cannot find a trace of that cancer." And she never had even one treatment for it, no chemo, no radiation, nothing--because they found it too late for treatments. They told John, "You need to go home and pray, because we can't help her. She has to have a miracle." Then as 5,000 of us watched her evey progress, Sunday to Sunday, seeing her so sick she sat wiping away tears, down in front of the platform, the day came when she took the platform to declare the victory. It was finally over. She helped me more than she will ever know. With her, I saw that it is possible to face impossible odds and move God to help you out of it. Yep, I shoulda sent her flowers.
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