“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” Ephesians 4:29 (NIV)

Radical gratitude means walking through life being grateful in every situation, no matter what—when times are abundant or when times are tight, when times are good or when times are bad. And being grateful can actually serve others; it can become a ministry.

Have you ever realized that every believer is a minister? You are a minister! And one ministry you can create is the ministry of appreciation.

Do you know what the word “appreciation” means? If you’ve ever bought a car, you certainly know the meaning of depreciation. The moment you drive it off the lot, it’s worth less than you paid for it, even if it’s a brand-new vehicle. Depreciation means “to decrease in value.” Appreciation is the opposite. It means “to increase in value.”

When you appreciate your spouse or kids, you raise their value. When you appreciate your co-workers or boss, you raise their value—to both you and the company. 

The ministry of appreciation raises the value of people. As you develop radical gratitude, you can make a ministry out of raising the value of people simply by appreciating them.

The Bible says it like this: “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen” (Ephesians 4:29 NIV).

One thing I’ve discovered is this: Everyone needs massive doses of encouragement. I’ve never met anybody who’s said, “Oh no! I don’t need a compliment! I’ve had too many. Please, stop! I’m too affirmed. Don’t give me any more.”

You have an innate need to be affirmed, to be loved, to be appreciated—and so does everybody else. If you want to be used by God, here’s one way: Affirm everyone. Appreciate everyone. Show gratitude to everyone.

That’s how you develop a ministry of appreciation.