Appreciation

Our church is located in the Baltimore/Washington corridor. If you have lived for long or ever been to the east coast you will know that we are not exactly known for our appreciation of each other. Sure there is a city north of us that is called the “city of brotherly love” but there is another saying that most Philadelphians tag to that, “and they will kill ya for a quarter.”

Expressing appreciation either visually or verbally is not our strong suit. But come to think of it, I don’t believe it’s an east coast condition as much as it is a sin condition. It is a natural state for people in the human race to take others for granted, to not say “thank you”, to be ungrateful. Where does this unappreciative attitude come from. Well you might think differently but I believe it comes from a deep inner lack of healthy self-esteem.

See, if I don’t appreciate myself, how in the world will I appreciate you? We walk around life so beat up inwardly that we rarely if ever see the amazing blessings around us and express appreciation for them. So we have a self-esteem problem and we need a healing inside us that will flow outwardly.

As promised in the message I want to give you 10 methods to apply to your life to build your self-esteem. These methods are never to take the place of a desire to have Jesus change you, but they can position you for all the Holy Spirit has.

1. Learn something new every day.

If you want to build your self-esteem, keep growing. When you are growing you add to your life, when you add to your life you have something to give someone else. Learn something new every day.

2. Do something for others every day.

In other words, don’t live for your own life. Pour yourself into others. So many live there lives for themselves, that “pity poor me” attitude will actually destroy your self-esteem.

3. Don’t compete with others.

There is a difference between competition and comparing. Often we confuse the two and use good healthy competition to fuel our comparison of ourselves to others. Instead just be who you are, don’t’ try to be some else.

4. Use affirmative language.

In other words, talk positive thoughts. I learned a long time ago that you can’t think positive thoughts while you’re using negative words. So say positive things. Learn how to say good things.

5. Remove yourself from people who put you down.

If you get around these people, you know what I’m talking about, very draining people. You all know them. Do you know what it’s like to have an average day and you look up and say, “Oh God, in your sovereignty and mercy, don’t let me see so and so today?” Keep away from those people.

6. Do something every day that you do well.

Find out what you do well and do it every day. It may be minor. It doesn’t matter because you’re going to feel good about yourself every time you do something that you know you do really well. That’s why I sing every day. You didn’t buy that one either did you?

7. Concentrate on the things that you like about yourself.

Every one of us has things that we don’t like about ourselves. Well, sure, join the crowd. It’s called humanity. But concentrate on the things that you like about yourself.

8. Immediately change the things that you don’t like.

If there’s something that you don’t like about yourself, change it, if you possibly can. John Maxwell taught me that a problem is something I can do about life, and a fact of life is something I can’t do anything about. But if you can do something about it, change and leave it. You don’t have to live under that.

9. Keep a success list.

Keep a list of successes. Just list those things that you are doing well that are helping you. If somebody writes you a note, a nice card or something and it really helped you, put it away for a while and read it once in a while when you’re having a blue Monday.

10. Set clear, reachable, daily goals.

And when I say daily goals, I’m not talking about getting 37 goals out there. I’m not even talking about being goal oriented. I’m talking about every day, determine to do something that’s going to help somebody else or help yourself, regardless of what it’s going to be.

“but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” (Isaiah 40:31)