Introduction: Have you ever wondered why some people seem to have so much abundance and for others it seems like it’s hard to get by or to get ahead? It’s as if no matter how hard we work it just seems like there’s never enough. But as we’ve been learning, there are laws that are governing every result of our life and one of them is the law of Appreciation. Today we are going to be looking at how appreciation and the power of gratitude can radically transform your life to make the rest of your life the best of your life.
1 What law has God spoken to His children that desire an abundant life? Psalm 100:4
Note: Appreciation and thanksgiving is a command or law of God. Temporal and spiritual prosperity are made conditional upon obedience to the law of God. But we do not read God’s Word, and thus become familiar with the terms of the blessing that is to be given to all who hearken diligently to God’s law and teach it diligently in their families. (See Deuteronomy 6:6-11 – opens in new tab due to long verse) Obedience to God’s Word is our life, our happiness. The law of Appreciation states the very act of appreciating what you have will appreciate, (as in raise in value or price), what you have. What is Gratitude? The appreciation of what is valuable and meaningful to you.
2 What if you woke up tomorrow with only the things you expressed gratitude for today? Psalm 26:7
Note: If you woke up tomorrow with only the relationships, resources, opportunities, and skills you had you expressed gratitude for today, how different would your life be? Who would be missing in your life and how would that affect you? The Law of Focus states that what you focus on you find (Matthew 7:7), What you focus on changes you (2 Corinthians 3:18), What you focus on grows (Galatians 6:7), and What you focus on you feel (Acts 17:27). That being said, what you appreciate you’ll see more of. Express gratitude to God for anything that you want to see more of in your life.
3 Why is it so important to appreciate our God-given treasure? 2 Kings 4:1-2 (opens in new tab due to long verse), 2 Kings 4:7
Note: Learning to appreciate her treasure led to a financial transformation for the woman in 2 Kings 4. Many times, we don’t appreciate our value but we do see the value of others. Elijah asked her what was in her house and she said “thine handmaid hath not anything in the house save a pot of oil.” Was she appreciating what she had or was she depreciating it? she wasn’t putting the value upon the oil. We tend to devalue what we have but once she learned to appreciate her God-given treasure, that pot of oil which is a talent, she was able to use it’s as an income-producing asset once the man of God helped her to appreciate her treasure and her talents. That was when God was able to bring her a financial transformation through selling and through paying her debts and then living and sustaining that transformation.
4 What will happen if we focus on what’s missing rather than what we’re grateful that we have? Matthew 25:28-29
Note: If you’re focusing on what’s missing… e.g. “I don’t have enough money to…” then what you have will be taken away. Recognize that you have money for what you make money for. The slothful servant thought he didn’t have enough, and so he didn’t use it, so the master took it from him and gave it to someone else who would do something with it. If you don’t use it, you lose it. One way to start using what you have is by appreciating your treasure.
5 In how many things of our life does expressing gratitude tend to enrich? 2 Corinthians 9:10-12 (opens in new tab due to long verse)
Note: All throughout scripture there is a theme of what you appreciate will appreciate in value. It comes by thanksgiving that we receive greater abundance in our life that God is seeking to increase in our lives. By Increasing your appreciation, you increase your life. Financially, socially, spiritually, physically. True wealth has less to do with how much you have but has everything to do with how grateful you are for what you have. Appreciation is just a 12-letter word for abundance. Ingratitude and wealth don’t live on the same street. Ingratitude can make a rich man poor, and Gratitude can make a poor man rich. Appreciation is what accelerates you to your destination.
6 For what purpose is abundant grace given to us in every area of life? 2 Corinthians 4:15
Note: Cultivating an attitude of gratitude doesn’t cost you any more or take a lot of time. But an attitude of gratitude can lead to abundance in every area of your life (See John 10:10). Attitudes are contagious, so make yours worth catching. You can train your brain and wire your mind to be habitually grateful for the little things in life (See Luke 16:10). Before Jesus fed the 5,000, He gave thanks (See Matthew 15:36). Is it possible that giving thanks for what you have is part of the process of prospering what you possess?
7 What could we do when we find it hard to appreciate difficult situations? 1 Thessalonians 5:18
Note: Would God ask us to be thankful for something that would do us harm or that couldn’t be appreciated? Never. This verse reveals how everything that’s happening in your life and business is happening for you and not to you (See Psalm 119:71). You have a promise; no matter your circumstance, whatever you have, in everything there is something to be grateful for. All upset is because of unmet expectations. If you want to turn your painfulness into joyfulness, practice by trading your expectation for appreciation. When you are facing unmet expectations ask “what do I appreciate about this problem or situation? If that’s difficult to answer, instead of asking “what do I appreciate about this?”, Ask “What could I appreciate about this if I allowed myself to appreciate it?”. Recognizing all you can be thankful for even in the most difficult times of your life fosters resilience. Appreciation can turn the unbearable into the enjoyable.
8 What comes first, being happy, or being thankful? Psalm 69:30, Psalm 69:33
Note: It’s not happy people who are thankful. It’s thankful people who are happy. Gratitude is the healthiest of all human emotions. The more you express what you’re grateful for, the more you will have to express gratitude. The Power of Gratitude wires our brain for Peace, Productivity, Performance, and prosperity. The quality of your life comes down to the quality of appreciation you express.
9 What does God say is the cure for anxiety? Philippians 4:6
Note: Be anxious for nothing. You could be grateful or you could be fearful, but you can’t be both at the same time. If you want to be truly wealthy, start by appreciating all the things you have that money can’t buy.
10 Did Jesus only thank God for what He had or also what God was going to provide for Him in the future? John 11:41-43 (opens in new tab due to long verse)
Note: We see here that Lazarus was dead but Jesus is thanking God in advance for answering His prayers. He’s thanking God for the blessing before He has received it. Christ is not waiting until Lazarus is alive to say thank you for answering my prayers. Likewise, we can thank God in advance for the blessings that He has promised. We have previously learned that both temporal and spiritual prosperity are made conditional upon obedience to the laws of God and when we obey His laws, blessings follow. When we disobey, consequences follow. When we ask for the things God has promised, we can thank Him in advance because we know it’s according to His will (See 1 John 5:4). God has promised that if we delight in Him, He will give us the desires of our sanctified heart (See Psalms 37:4). It’s not selfish to ask what you desire when God has promised it; and when you ask for those things that God has promised, you are more than a conqueror in Christ as Romans 8:37 says. You can thank God for the victory, the provision, and for what God has promised before you ever see it taking place. When we understand this, it really changes the way that we pray and perceive life. We’re no longer victims of circumstances but we’re victorious. The law of appreciation is one of the laws of prosperity and one of the laws of finding true divine success in the calling that God has placed for us.
In Light of God’s Word…
Is it your desire to appreciate all that the Lord has given you in value so you can learn how to appreciate the things that God desires to give you in the future?
Is it your decision today to apply the law of appreciation to every area of your life even in the hardest times and fulfill the will of God for your life?
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