What Can I Learn from ‘Chick-a-lay?”
Question: What can we learn from the employees of ‘Chickalay’ , as my granddaughter used to call it?
Answer: It’s My Pleasure – Appreciation for others
Ever heard the question: What do good people have to do for evil to be victorious?
Edmund Burke said it this way: “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” – attributed to Edmund Burke but may actually be a quote from John Stuart Mill at the University of St Andrews 1867
In many ways the condition of our world today, where evil seems to be on the march in too many arenas, may be our own fault. We (myself included) lived life with our heads in the sand while evil was on the move. I am not making a political statement as much as a personal, spiritual, and cultural one. Think how the world has changed in your lifetime.
I believe that many of the problems stemming from too many people not taking personal responsibility where appropriate and not taking action where needed started in the homes. Our families are the greatest discipling environments of all time. What have we discipled our children into – Jesus followers? Political activists? Global Warming enthusiasts? Couch potatoes? Athletes? Truth tellers? Truth discoverers? Church goers? Bible studiers? Or what?
More of God’s love and His truths are needed and could still turn the tide on our culture, moving us to a place of revival and awakening instead of the current “wokeness”.
Love and truth can be powerfully shown and experienced in applying the Top Ten Relationship Needs. So many of these needs we discuss each week – (Acceptance, Affection, Appreciation, Approval, Attention, Comfort, Encouragement Respect Security, Support) – go unmet, not so much from harsh aggression or from over-involvement. Many go unmet from lack of action, from neglect. In other words, those of us who could meet these needs too often simply do nothing positive to effectively meet the needs. That leaves others alone and more vulnerable to Satan’s influence via culture, media, personal confusion, and unhealthy friendships.
Studying scripture, memorizing it, and meditating on God’s truths are vital to our success as followers of Christ. Do you agree? There is something else that must follow these practices in order to make our faith visible and God’s love contagious. That practice is….well, practice.
James 1:22 (NIV)
“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.”
My questions for this week are these:
1. How was appreciation shown to you as a child or teen? What did others DO to show they appreciated what you did or what you tried to do or what you accomplished? Don’t get me wrong. I am not saying we have to have appreciation shown to us as a motivation for doing what is right and good. What I am saying is that when appreciation is shown, told, made obvious, then what we have done becomes something we can enjoy more and will likely repeat. What gets rewarded gets repeated….oftentimes.
2. How is having appreciation shown a blessing to your heart? Can you recall a time when someone rewarded you, thanked you, or commended you for finishing what you started, trying really hard to do well even if you didn’t do well, or simply said thank you for a simple task you completed?
3. How do you feel when appreciation or thanks is not given on a few occasions? How does it make you feel when it is never or rarely expressed over months or years?
4. What do good people have to do for evil to win or for others to feel unappreciated? Nothing! It is much harder to keep on keeping on doing the right thing when no one seems to care or when the wrong way is rewarded and mentioned.
5. Let’s do something effective to show appreciation. And by the way, we may need to let another person know when we could use some appreciation as well. You think?
Simple Illustration:
When Carol and I visited in the homes of friends in places where we served in years past, sometimes we’d talk about the beauty of the décor and furnishing inside that home. Carol had no idea for years that when she’d mention those elaborate or expensive furnishings, I felt inadequate, realizing that I would probably never be able to provide that for her. This is not a “oh, woe, is me” story; but just a way of illustrating the impact of not feeling appreciated. When we did finally discuss it later in our marriage, she was so surprised and sad that I felt that way. She never said anything about not appreciating the ways I (actually God) had provided for us; but, you see, that was part of the problem. The other part was that I didn’t say anything about it either. I just kept it bottled.
She was thankful, appreciative, and grateful inside, but rarely expressed it to me. With a little understanding and more showing appreciation, Carol and I both began to express appreciation more often for each other regarding meals, effort, things God provided for us, hard work that was expended to actually keep our home nice, our cars running, the work we did for a living, the ministry where we served. We WERE thankful, but we didn’t give much thanks – except to God at mealtime. And that is great, but others need to know we appreciate them and their work and their efforts. Let God know He is the source of all good and perfect gifts. Give Him thanks and praise. Let others know they are sources of blessing and are themselves blessings. Appreciate them inside and out.
Showing God’s love in these ways may change a life, a family, a marriage, a church, our culture, and even the world as we prepare for the coming of King Jesus. He is coming again!
Appreciation – opposite is criticism or silence when expressions of appreciation are warranted
Expressing thanks, praise, or commendation. Recognizing accomplishment or effort— especially for what you “do”.
Example: Certificates, notes, rewards for effort as well as accomplishment; public and private recognition and thanks
You did a great job.
Thank you for your help with dinner.