Get Your Mind Off Yourself

I have heard one of the deepest needs in human beings is to be appreciated. Charles Schwab said, “The way to develop the best that is in a person is by appreciation and encouragement.” No one wants to feel taken advantage of or to sense that what they do for others is meaningless.

Psalm 100:4 says that we are to “be thankful and say so” (AMPC). This is a simple, yet powerful instruction. It means to have a heart that appreciates everything it is given and a mouth that expresses thanksgiving to God and to people through words.

But when people don’t express gratitude, it’s easy for our enemy, Satan, to whisper in our ears, “You don’t really matter. What you did for them didn’t make any difference.” We have the power to help others avoid such a negative feeling by simply saying, “Thank you” when it should be said. And I suspect we could spare people many of the enemy’s lies by simply being more encouraging and appreciative.

Isn’t that amazing? We have the ability to give people value with our words. And expressing gratitude through words such as, “Thank you” or “I appreciate you,” not only blesses those to whom we speak, but it also releases something powerful in us. Showing appreciation helps us realize how blessed we are, and keeping that in mind gives us joy.

We live in a world that seems to enjoy tearing people down. From social media to reality shows and talk radio, to conversations between people—we are not lacking in critical judgment, gossip, faultfinding, and reporting the worst news possible. We should be building people up, not putting them down. Speaking words filled with death is the habit of the world, but it should not be so among God’s people.

So, today I want to encourage you to go out and encourage others! Speaking words of gratitude is great, but you may also choose to text, email, call, or simply write a note to someone you want to thank. Doing so takes very little time, and it does both us and them so much good.

_{Adapted from the book The Power of Thank You by Joyce Meyer. Copyright 2022 by Joyce Meyer. Published by Hachette Book Group, Inc. All rights reserved.}