When we appreciate something, we bring value to it and we are less likely to take it for granted. In Deuteronomy 10 – 12, God said to the Children of Israel, “Don’t take these gifts I’ve given you for granted, and don’t forget who gave them to you.” Appreciation honors God.

>> VICTORIA OSTEEN: I JUST WANT

TO TALK TO US TODAY ABOUT

APPRECIATING EVERY AREA

OF OUR LIFE.

YOU KNOW, WHEN WE APPRECIATE

SOMETHING, WE BRING AWARENESS

TO IT.

WE BRING VALUE TO IT.

AND WE ARE LESS LIKELY TO

TAKE IT FOR GRANTED.

IN DEUTERONOMY 10 THROUGH 12,

GOD WAS TAKING THE CHILDREN

OF ISRAEL TO A CITY THEY HAD

NOT BUILT.

HE SAID, “I’M GIVING YOU

HOMES FILLED WITH GREAT

TREASURE.”

HE SAID, “I’M GIVING YOU

VINEYARDS YOU DIDN’T PLOW,

BUT I’M GIVING THEM TO YOU SO

THAT YOU CAN WORK THEM.

I’M GIVING YOU HOMES WITH

GREAT TREASURE IN THEM SO

THAT YOU CAN LIVE IN THEM,”

AND HE WENT ON AND ON TO TELL

ALL THE WONDERFUL GIFTS THAT

HE WAS GIVING THEM.

BUT THEN HE WARNED THEM.

HE SAID, “I HAVE TO WARN YOU,

I’M GIVING YOU ALL OF THESE

THINGS, BUT DON’T TAKE THEM

FOR GRANTED.”

HE SAID, “DON’T TAKE THEM FOR

GRANTED, AND DON’T FORGET WHO

GAVE THEM TO YOU.

DON’T TAKE THEM FOR GRANTED

AND NOT HONOR ME.”

SEE, THE SAME THING IS

HAPPENING TODAY.

GOD HAS GIVEN US THINGS, A

GREAT COUNTRY TO LIVE IN.

HE’S GIVEN US HOMES.

HE’S GIVEN US FAMILY,

FRIENDS, JOBS, AND HE IS

SAYING, “DON’T FORGET WHO

GAVE IT TO YOU, AND HONOR ME

IN IT.”

YOU SEE, I BELIEVE, WHEN WE

APPRECIATE GOD, WHEN WE

APPRECIATE THE THINGS THAT

GOD HAS GIVEN US, WE’RE

HONORING HIM.

YOU SEE, APPRECIATION IS A

LANGUAGE, AND IT HONORS GOD.

HOW MANY OF US HAVE SEEN

VIDEOS OR VISITED

IMPOVERISHED COUNTRIES AND

REALIZED HOW BLESSED WE

REALLY ARE?

WE HAVE RUNNING WATER.

WE HAVE GREAT GROCERY STORES,

RESTAURANTS.

WHATEVER WE NEED, IT’S

BASICALLY AT OUR FINGERTIPS;

AND WE SEE THESE IMPOVERISHED

COUNTRIES AND PEOPLE, AND OUR

HEART GOES OUT TO THEM, AND

WE FEEL SO COMPASSIONATE, AND

WE FEEL SO BLESSED, RIGHT?

THEN, WE GET TO OUR JOBS.

WE GET TO OUR HOMES.

WE FACE LIFE, CHALLENGES,

DECISIONS.

THINGS GO WRONG, AND WE

FORGET ABOUT THOSE THINGS.

WE FORGET HOW GRATEFUL WE

SHOULD BE.

WE GET COMFORTABLE,

UNINTERESTED.

WE TAKE THINGS FOR GRANTED.

IT’S EASY TO DO, AND WE ALL

DO IT.

BUT CAN I TELL YOU THAT WE’VE

GOT TO LEARN THE LANGUAGE OF

APPRECIATION?

HAVE YOU EVER HEARD YOURSELF

SAY, “I HAVE TO GO TO WORK.

OH, I HAVE TO GO PICK UP MY

KIDS.

I HAVE TO MAKE DINNER.

UGH, I HAVE TO CLEAN UP AFTER

MY HUSBAND.”

SEE, THE LANGUAGE OF

APPRECIATION SAYS THIS.

IT SAYS, “I GET TO GO TO WORK

BECAUSE I HAVE A JOB.

I’M SO BLESSED TO HAVE MY

CHILDREN.

I’M GOING TO GO PICK THEM UP

NOW.

I HAVE A HOUSE.

I GET TO CLEAN IT.”

SEE, THAT’S THE LANGUAGE OF

APPRECIATION.

I WAS TALKING TO A MAN THE

OTHER DAY, AND HE WAS TELLING

ME, HE ACTUALLY SHOWED ME A

LIST OF JOBS THAT HE HAD HAD

EVER SINCE HE WAS A TEENAGER,

AND HE BEGAN AT 13 YEARS OLD.

HE WAS A PAPER BOY.

HE WENT ON TO 15, AND HE

STARTED MOWING LAWNS; 17, HE

WAS SHOVELING SNOW.

THEN HE WENT ON TO BE A

PLUMBER.

THEN HE WENT ON TO BE A PIPE

FITTER.

THEN HE WENT ON TO BE A

CONTRACTOR.

THEN HE WENT ON TO, AND HE

WAS GOING ON AND ON.

I THOUGHT, “DEAR LORD, HOW

MANY JOBS HAS THIS MAN HAD?”

BUT THE PURPOSE OF SHOWING ME

THIS LIST WAS THIS.

HE SAID, “I WENT BACK THROUGH

MY LIFE, AND I LOOKED AT

EVERY JOB THAT I’VE EVER

HAD.”

AND HE SAID, “I THOUGHT ABOUT

IT.”

AND HE SAID, “WHAT DID THAT

JOB SHOW ME?

WHAT DID THAT JOB GIVE ME?”

AND HE ASSIGNED A WORD TO

EACH ONE OF THOSE JOBS, WORDS

LIKE “COMMITMENT,”

“PERSEVERANCE,” “INTEGRITY,”

“RESPONSIBILITY.”

HE SAID, “VICTORIA, YOU KNOW,

SOME OF THOSE JOBS, AT THE

TIME, I COULDN’T SEE HOW THEY

EVEN MADE SENSE.”

HE SAID, “THEY WERE

DIFFICULT.

THEY WERE HARD.”

HE SAYS, “BUT, WHEN I MADE

THIS LIST,” HE SAID, “WHAT IT

DID IS IT SHOWED ME HOW

GRATEFUL I COULD BE FOR EACH

AND EVERY ONE OF THESE JOBS

AND HOW IT DEVELOPED MY

CHARACTER AND MY RESOLVE FOR

THE NEXT JOB.”

YOU KNOW WHAT HE WAS DOING?

HE WAS ADDING VALUE TO HIS

LIFE.

HE WAS MINING THE GOLD.

SEE, SOMETIMES WE GET STUCK

IN THOSE PLACES, AND WE MAKE

EXCUSES WHY WE DIDN’T GET TO

THE NEXT PLACE, SAYING, “WE

HAD TO DO THIS.

OUR PARENTS DIDN’T BRING US

UP RIGHT.

WELL, IF I’D HAVE HAD AN

OPPORTUNITY TO GO TO COLLEGE.

WELL, IF I DIDN’T HAVE TO

WORK THIS JOB.”

YOU SEE, THIS MAN TOLD ME, “I

READ THIS LIST OFTEN,” HE

SAID, “BECAUSE IT HELPS ME BE

VERY AWARE AND CONSCIOUS OF

WHERE I AM RIGHT NOW AND THE

BLESSINGS IN MY LIFE.”

SEE, THIS MAN IS A TOP

EXECUTIVE, NOW, AT A

MILLION-DOLLAR COMPANY.

HE SAID, “I READ IT OFTEN.

I NEVER WANT TO TAKE THIS FOR

GRANTED.”

YOU SEE, WE SHOULD ALL DIG

THE GOLD OUT OF OUR LIFE.

YEAH, WE’RE GOING TO FACE

CHALLENGES.

WE’RE GOING TO FACE

CHALLENGES.

THINGS AREN’T ALWAYS GOING TO

BE EASY; BUT, WHEN WE BEGIN

TO LOOK FOR THE LESSONS, WHEN

WE BEGIN TO LOOK FOR WHAT CAN

BUILD IN US, YOU KNOW, THAT’S

WHEN WE’RE GOING TO FIND THE

VALUE.

THAT’S WHEN WE’RE GOING TO

FIND THE PURPOSE.

YOU SEE, WHEN YOU’RE

APPRECIATIVE AND YOU LOOK FOR

THE VALUE IN SOMETHING, WHAT

YOU’RE DOING IS YOU’RE ADDING

TO YOUR LIFE.

SOMETIMES WE RUN AROUND

THINKING THERE’S A MISSING

LINK.

“IF I COULD ONLY FIND THAT

THING.”

AND, WHEN YOU HAVE AN

ATTITUDE LIKE THAT, YOU ARE

LACKING; AND WHEN YOU’RE

LACKING, IT’S HARD TO FIND

PURPOSE.

THAT’S WHY, WHEREVER YOU ARE

TODAY, NO MATTER HOW

DIFFICULT IT IS, ASK GOD TO

SHOW YOU, “WHERE’S THE VALUE

IN THIS, GOD?

HOW CAN I APPRECIATE THIS

BECAUSE IT’S SOMETHING YOU’VE

GIVEN ME?”

YOU SEE, THE HAPPY PEOPLE ARE

THE PEOPLE THAT CAN BE

APPRECIATIVE OF WHAT THEY

HAVE RIGHT NOW ON THE WAY TO

WHERE THEY’RE GOING.

[CONGREGATION APPLAUDING]

HAVE YOU EVER HEARD THAT

SONG, “YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT

YOU GOT TILL IT’S GONE?”

I THINK IT’S A COUNTRY

WESTERN SONG.

IT SOUNDS LIKE IT.

YOU KNOW, IT’S UNFORTUNATE

THAT SOME PEOPLE HAVE TO LOSE

SOMETHING BEFORE THEY

RECOGNIZE THE VALUE IN IT.

YOU SEE, WE SHOULDN’T HAVE TO

LOSE SOMETHING TO BEGIN TO

APPRECIATE IT.

I WAS TALKING TO A MAN THE

OTHER DAY, AND HE WAS TELLING

ME HOW HE HAD STRUGGLED WITH

THIS LONG BATTLE OF CANCER,

AND HIS RECOVERY HAD BEEN

VERY DIFFICULT.

HE SAID, “BUT LET ME TELL

YOU, VICTORIA, I SEE THE

WORLD IN A COMPLETELY

DIFFERENT WAY.

HOW I VIEWED MY LIFE BEFORE

CANCER IS TOTALLY DIFFERENT

THAN HOW I VIEW MY LIFE NOW.”

HE SAID, “THE IMPORTANT

THINGS TO ME ARE MY FRIENDS

AND MY FAMILY.”

HE SAID THIS, AND I THOUGHT

IT WAS SO GOOD.

HE SAID, “YOU KNOW, WHEN

YOU’VE HAD CANCER,” HE SAID,

“YOU REALIZE THAT A BUCKET

LIST IS OVERRATED.”

HE SAID, “EXPERIENCING AND

APPRECIATING WHAT YOU HAVE

EVERY DAY IS WHAT’S

IMPORTANT.”

YOU SEE, WE DON’T WANT TO

HAVE TO ALMOST LOSE SOMETHING

TO APPRECIATE WHAT WE HAVE.

WE CANNOT GET SO COMFORTABLE

AND SO ACCUSTOMED TO THE

BLESSINGS IN OUR LIFE.

SOMEONE GAVE ME A SCULPTURE,

AND I LIKED IT.

IT WAS REALLY PRETTY.

I PUT IT UP IN MY HOME.

AND THAT SCULPTURE WAS RIGHT

WHERE I WANTED TO PUT MY

CHRISTMAS TREE, SO I TOOK THE

SCULPTURE DOWN, AND I STORED

IT IN A BACK CLOSET IN MY

HOME.

I PUT ALL MY CHRISTMAS

DECORATIONS UP.

OKAY, DON’T JUDGE ME, BUT I

PUT MY CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS

UP A WEEK BEFORE

THANKSGIVING, BUT I TAKE THEM

DOWN RIGHT AFTER CHRISTMAS.

I WAS DIGGING IN A CLOSET

JUST NOT LONG AGO, AND I

NOTICED A SHEET IN THE BACK

OF THAT CLOSET, AND I

THOUGHT, “WHAT IS THAT?”

AND I PULLED OFF THE SHEET,

AND IT WAS THAT STATUE.

NOW, THAT STATUE HAD BEEN IN

THERE ABOUT TWO YEARS.

AND I THOUGHT, “OH, MY GOSH.

I FORGOT ALL ABOUT THIS

STATUE.”

YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES YOU GET

SO MUCH STUFF, MAYBE SOME

PRETTY THINGS.

YOU FORGET ABOUT WHAT YOU

HAVE.

SO, I KIND OF JUST FORGOT ALL

ABOUT THE STATUE, SO, I

TOSSED THE SHEET BACK OVER

IT, BECAUSE I WAS IN A HURRY,

AND I LEFT.

WELL, A FEW DAYS LATER, I WAS

WITH SOME FRIENDS OF MINE,

AND WE WERE ON A PROJECT, AND

WE WERE STAGING A TABLE.

AND SO, WE HAD THE TABLE

LOOKING REALLY GOOD, AND

SOMEBODY SAID, “YOU KNOW, WE

NEED SOMETHING SPECIAL ON

THIS TABLE.

WE NEED SOMETHING TO SET THIS

TABLE OFF.”

AND SO, WE WERE LOOKING FOR

ALL THESE THINGS.

“WHAT CAN WE JUST TOP THIS

TABLE OFF WITH?”

AND, IN MY MIND, I THOUGHT

ABOUT THAT STATUE IN MY

CLOSET WITH THE SHEET ON IT.

I THOUGHT, “HM, THAT MIGHT

JUST LOOK GOOD.”

SO, I HAD SOMEONE BRING IT

WHERE I WAS.

AND SO, WE PUT THE STATUE ON

IT, AND ALL THE GIRLS WERE

LIKE, “WHOA.

THAT IS BEAUTIFUL.

THAT IS THE MOST PERFECT

THING EVER.

THAT IS SO GORGEOUS.”

AND I STOOD BACK, AND I

THOUGHT, “THAT IS PRETTY,

ISN’T IT?”

IT’S AMAZING HOW I VALUED THE

BEAUTY IN THAT STATUE BECAUSE

EVERYONE ELSE DID.

SO, ON MY WAY HOME, I WAS

THINKING TO MYSELF, “I’VE GOT

TO FIND SOMETHING LIKE THAT

BECAUSE I WANT MY STATUE

BACK.”

SO, I GOT HOME, AND I GOT ON

THE INTERNET, AND I STARTED

LOOKING, LOOKING.

“WHAT CAN I GET THAT’S LIKE

THAT?

WHAT CAN I GET THAT’S LIKE

THAT?”

AND, TO MY SURPRISE, I

REALIZED THAT THAT STATUE WAS

A LIMITED EDITION.

THE ARTIST ONLY MADE A FEW,

AND YOU COULDN’T GET IT

ANYMORE.

AND THEN I FOUND A GALLERY

THAT WAS LOOKING FOR THAT

SPECIFIC STATUE.

THEY WANTED TO BUY IT.

I WAS LIKE, “OH, MY GOSH.

THIS IS SOMETHING SO

VALUABLE.

I WANT MY STATUE BACK.

I WANT MY STATUE BACK.”

THAT’S ALL I COULD THINK

ABOUT WAS GETTING MY STATUE

BACK.

YOU SEE, SOMETIMES WE DON’T

APPRECIATE THINGS UNTIL

SOMEONE ELSE SEES THE VALUE

IN THEM.

[APPLAUDING]

YOU SEE, WHAT YOU’RE TAKING

FOR GRANTED TODAY, SOMEONE

ELSE MAY BE PRAYING FOR.

SOME THINGS CAN’T BE

REPLACED.

THEY’RE ONE OF A KIND.

YOUR MOTHER, YOUR FATHER,

YOUR CHILDREN, YOUR SPOUSE.

DON’T NEGLECT IT.

DON’T GET SO USED TO IT THAT

YOU FORGET THE PRECIOUS GIFT

THAT IT REALLY IS.

YOU SEE, I BELIEVE THE

HAPPIEST PEOPLE ARE THE

PEOPLE WHO APPRECIATE WHAT

THEY HAVE RIGHT NOW AND PLACE

VALUE ON IT BECAUSE, WHEN YOU

PLACE VALUE ON IT, IT PLACES

VALUE ON YOU AND YOUR LIFE.

LISTEN.

GOD’S TAKING US TO GREAT

PLACES, BUT HE NEVER WANTS US

TO TAKE FOR GRANTED

EVERYTHING THAT HE’S GIVEN US

RIGHT NOW.

AMEN?

[MUSIC]

> JOEL: THANKS FOR

WATCHING THIS

MESSAGE.

I HOPE

YOU ENJOYED IT.

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> VICTORIA: LET US

KNOW IN THE

COMMENTS BELOW HOW

THIS MESSAGE HAS

ENCOURAGED YOU.

WE WOULD LOVE TO

HEAR FROM YOU.

WE’RE PRAYING FOR

YOU AND YOUR FAMILY.

WE’LL SEE YOU

NEXT TIME!