THANKSGIVING RELATIONSHIPS

If you were to go to the car dealership today and buy a new Mercedes, its value would begin to depreciate the minute you drive it off the lot. When we are not making a conscious effort to say “Thank you” to the other person in a relationship, with God or with people, the same thing happens—their value begins to depreciate in our minds.

How much better would we feel if people thanked us more often? Think about it. It means they first of all had to take notice of you. Saying “thank you” means a decision, effort and positive action is made in your direction. Showing a little appreciation seems like a very small thing but actually it’s pretty great. It’s like a baby compliment for something you said or did or are. And who doesn’t need a few more kudos and compliments now and then?

Being thankful shows APPRECIATION. If we aren’t thankful, DEPRECIATION sets in. Francine can show appreciation for her husband, but if she doesn’t, his value can start to depreciate in her eyes and pretty soon she’s asking for a divorce. At this point Gerard, her husband, has little to no hope for recovery. Fortunately situations like this can often be prevented by the consistent application of two simple words in the relationship, “Thank you.”

Relationships appreciate or depreciate in proportion to thanksgiving.

When someone shows us how much they appreciate us, we’re willing to do more. God’s relationship with us is also better when we tell Him thank you. Awesome benefits come with expressing appreciation and thanksgiving.

By truly thanking the Lord from our hearts, He becomes bigger in our minds. We become more aware of the miracles, the mercy, the healing and the deliverance He brings into our everyday lives. David says, “I will magnify him with thanksgiving” (Ps 69:30). We know we can’t really make God any bigger than He already is, but we certainly can make Him bigger in our own thinking and believing. We make the Lord’s presence larger in our lives by saying thank you and showing appreciation.

Daniel thanked God when it was against the law. “He kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God” (Dan 6:10). And if you remember, Daniel was miraculously saved from the lion’s den. Praying and thanking God three times a day magnified God in Daniel’s heart and his life. It brought the magnificence of God to the forefront of Daniel’s thinking.

I believe that if we follow Daniel’s example of thanking God, we will more often be seeing the magnificence of God come to the forefront of our minds. Daniel saw and believed in the Almighty God who could bring to pass miracles. God did an amazing miracle for Daniel in rescuing him from the hungry man-eating lions.

The Apostle Paul also made a practice of thanking God. He was in a ship in the middle of a hurricane and though the storm pummeled the ship and everyone thought they would die, Paul boldly told them they would not die. “He gave thanks to God in the presence of them all” (Acts 27:35). They crashed onto an island but all 276 lives were saved.

Let’s not let our relationship with God or people depreciate. Let’s say thank you and show heartfelt appreciation often. We’ll see God bigger, our relationships with people will be richer and our personal lives will be more blessed because of it.

Love, Carolyn

(photo is a painting by Henry Ossawa Tanner: Daniel in the Lions Den c.1914-1917) 

My books will make great Christmas gifts. Good reading for the holidays. Here’s the link: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=sr_pg_1?rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3AWings+Carolyn+Molica&keywords=Wings+Carolyn+Molica&ie=UTF8&qid=1416762853

I also have free printable PDF files of any of my WINGS Sample books. Each sample book has about 6 stand-alone true life stories on the topic of the book. Topics include MIRACLES, SUPERNATURAL EYES, BIBLE STUDIES, COMFORT and more. Check the link above and contact me at carolynmolica@yahoo.com , if you’d like a free download.