A
pastor was once speaking to a man who was having trouble in his marriage, and
he asked him, “When was the last time you told your wife that you loved her?” The man replied, “I told her at our wedding, twenty-five
years ago, and she should know I feel the same until I tell her otherwise.”
This
is a funny example of what I think we see in this world all too often. Most people don’t express appreciation,
gratitude, and love enough. My friend BD
used to say that where he grew up, the only time you heard anything from your
parents or boss was when you screwed up.
If there was silence, then you could assume that you were doing well. That’s not how we should live. We should live in a world where we are being
built up, where our good deeds and loveable qualities are recognized and acknowledged,
where people take more time gushing about what we did right instead of what we
did wrong.
We
should be telling our spouses, kids, friends, and family that we love and
appreciate them…constantly. And not just
in a passing remark, but gushing about it.
We should effusivize our praise. The
word “effusive” means to “show unrestrained emotion or thankfulness,” and that’s
how we should be…unrestrained.
