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Good day
I trust you're doing well by the grace of God and wish you everything of the best for the year ahead.
I sat in a meeting recently where someone was speaking about the fact that we need to respect our time. How our lives are made up of time and how it's something that, when it's gone, it's almost impossible to get back. They went on to say that if we knew that today/or this week were our last days on the Earth, how would that thought change our priorities, where all of a sudden many things that we thought were important might become less significant and we'd be encouraged to use our time differently. We'd probably be more intentional in our decisions/actions and less inclined to waste the limited time we have left, and instead be more constructive. Also, how differently would we treat those around us, would we be more patient with family, would we tell them how much we appreciate and love them. Would we be more kind and generous towards friends or even strangers, etc.
When I was reflecting on the above, one specific scenario I thought about was times where I would focus more on what the other person is not doing right, instead of all the many things they are doing right ... Someone once shared their experience about when they had an argument with their wife and they stormed off to their car and sat and complained to God about their wife, and then God asked him to name one thing his wife does that he's grateful for, and then once he did that, God told him to do it again ... after going through this process a few times, he mentioned how his attitude had changed while sitting in that car and how he was now so appreciative for having a wife like her ... this example shows us how powerful gratitude can be.
I then came across the below when searching for the difference between gratitude and appreciation:
"Gratitude and appreciation are closely related, with gratitude often seen as the deeper, internal feeling of thankfulness for blessings (even unearned ones), while appreciation is the outward recognition and enjoyment of something's value, often focusing on the present and feeling lighter, with gratitude often being the foundation that sparks appreciation."
Gratefulness is where we take the time to reflect and be thankful for all the many things we easily take for granted and overlook, especially when our mindset is programmed to want more (e.g. people can get discouraged or despondent when wanting to earn a higher salary and lose sight of being grateful for having a job when others may be struggling to find employment ... and how the income from that job supplies food, clothing and shelter ... again, something that can be taken for granted and is often overlooked) ... so being grateful helps to reduce stress, bring inner peace, rest, joy and contentment to the soul.
Now whilst this is true, when it comes to being grateful for the people in our lives, we should be encouraged to take that a step further by showing appreciation. As mentioned in that above statement, gratitude is often the foundation that sparks appreciation. This means that while I'm taking the time to reflect and be grateful for, let's say a spouse, parent, child or sibling, and whilst I'm reaping the benefits of the joy, peace or contentment that I'm experiencing from doing so, it doesn't necessarily mean anything to that person unless we actually tell/show them how much we value and appreciate the fact that we're grateful for having them in our lives.
It's been said that when people receive appreciation, their level of engagement increases, it helps to build trust in relationships, they feel inspired to keep on doing what they're doing and even want to do better next time, it boosts their mental and emotional well-being, enhances self-image and confidence, improves physical health and helps to build resilience ... So as we can see here, there are many benefits to showing appreciation.
I trust this message would encourage us to take a moment and reflect on the things that we're grateful for, and also to take the time to appreciate those that we're grateful for.
In closing, I'd like to throw in another point of consideration: When it comes to our relationship with God, if gratitude can be seen as internal reflection and appreciation is the outward recognition, then does my level of appreciation match my level of gratitude for God? ... If I were to reflect on how thankful and grateful I am for having God in my life, does that match the level of appreciation I'm currently showing Him? ... Is my level of appreciation for God's love towards me limited to my internal reflection, or does it show by my decisions/actions/obedience? ... just putting this out there as a point to ponder.
I'll be starting a new series soon called, "Take a Stand". It's something I believe the Holy Spirit has prompted me to do while praying about what to share next, so I know you'll be encouraged by it.
Have a blessed day further
I trust you're doing well by the grace of God and wish you everything of the best for the year ahead.
I sat in a meeting recently where someone was speaking about the fact that we need to respect our time. How our lives are made up of time and how it's something that, when it's gone, it's almost impossible to get back. They went on to say that if we knew that today/or this week were our last days on the Earth, how would that thought change our priorities, where all of a sudden many things that we thought were important might become less significant and we'd be encouraged to use our time differently. We'd probably be more intentional in our decisions/actions and less inclined to waste the limited time we have left, and instead be more constructive. Also, how differently would we treat those around us, would we be more patient with family, would we tell them how much we appreciate and love them. Would we be more kind and generous towards friends or even strangers, etc.
When I was reflecting on the above, one specific scenario I thought about was times where I would focus more on what the other person is not doing right, instead of all the many things they are doing right ... Someone once shared their experience about when they had an argument with their wife and they stormed off to their car and sat and complained to God about their wife, and then God asked him to name one thing his wife does that he's grateful for, and then once he did that, God told him to do it again ... after going through this process a few times, he mentioned how his attitude had changed while sitting in that car and how he was now so appreciative for having a wife like her ... this example shows us how powerful gratitude can be.
I then came across the below when searching for the difference between gratitude and appreciation:
"Gratitude and appreciation are closely related, with gratitude often seen as the deeper, internal feeling of thankfulness for blessings (even unearned ones), while appreciation is the outward recognition and enjoyment of something's value, often focusing on the present and feeling lighter, with gratitude often being the foundation that sparks appreciation."
Gratefulness is where we take the time to reflect and be thankful for all the many things we easily take for granted and overlook, especially when our mindset is programmed to want more (e.g. people can get discouraged or despondent when wanting to earn a higher salary and lose sight of being grateful for having a job when others may be struggling to find employment ... and how the income from that job supplies food, clothing and shelter ... again, something that can be taken for granted and is often overlooked) ... so being grateful helps to reduce stress, bring inner peace, rest, joy and contentment to the soul.
Now whilst this is true, when it comes to being grateful for the people in our lives, we should be encouraged to take that a step further by showing appreciation. As mentioned in that above statement, gratitude is often the foundation that sparks appreciation. This means that while I'm taking the time to reflect and be grateful for, let's say a spouse, parent, child or sibling, and whilst I'm reaping the benefits of the joy, peace or contentment that I'm experiencing from doing so, it doesn't necessarily mean anything to that person unless we actually tell/show them how much we value and appreciate the fact that we're grateful for having them in our lives.
It's been said that when people receive appreciation, their level of engagement increases, it helps to build trust in relationships, they feel inspired to keep on doing what they're doing and even want to do better next time, it boosts their mental and emotional well-being, enhances self-image and confidence, improves physical health and helps to build resilience ... So as we can see here, there are many benefits to showing appreciation.
I trust this message would encourage us to take a moment and reflect on the things that we're grateful for, and also to take the time to appreciate those that we're grateful for.
In closing, I'd like to throw in another point of consideration: When it comes to our relationship with God, if gratitude can be seen as internal reflection and appreciation is the outward recognition, then does my level of appreciation match my level of gratitude for God? ... If I were to reflect on how thankful and grateful I am for having God in my life, does that match the level of appreciation I'm currently showing Him? ... Is my level of appreciation for God's love towards me limited to my internal reflection, or does it show by my decisions/actions/obedience? ... just putting this out there as a point to ponder.
I'll be starting a new series soon called, "Take a Stand". It's something I believe the Holy Spirit has prompted me to do while praying about what to share next, so I know you'll be encouraged by it.
Have a blessed day further