Everyone wants to be appreciated—to be recognized and valued for what he is and for what he does. But at times appreciation appears to be lacking. Someone does a kind deed but does not receive a thank-you. Another performs some worthy service, but no one pays any attention to what he has done. An employee in a large business concern works long hours to get out an important report and then finds that it is accepted without comment. A housewife and mother sees little evidence that the members of her family notice the many sacrifices she makes for them.
Perhaps the individual in such cases tells himself that it doesn't really matter, that he isn't seeking the praise of men, and that he certainly doesn't want flattery. But underneath is still a feeling that just a little appreciation would give him a boost and help him to carry on without being discouraged.
If we are concerned about a lack of appreciation, it may be well to ask ourselves some questions: What kind of appreciation or recognition do we want? From whom do we want it? Why do we want it? To answer these questions, a better understanding of what true appreciation is and what it is not may be helpful.
Appreciation from a worldly standpoint is often insincere. It may take the form of flattery and personal adulation. It is based on the testimony of personal sense and often does not recognize true worth. On the other hand, genuine appreciation, Christian Science teaches, is based on the testimony of spiritual sense. It has its source in God. It is God's satisfaction with the glory and perfection of His own creation, including man.
Isn't appreciation from God, our heavenly Father, what we are really seeking? Christ Jesus received God's commendation, "Lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." Matt. 3:17 As children of divine Love we are always loved and appreciated; we are all precious in the sight of God. This is the appreciation and recognition we most need. It identifies us as perfect children of a perfect Father—perfect ideas of perfect Mind— possessing by reflection all of the qualities of true being.
We learn in our human experience that appreciation brings satisfaction and happiness only when we deserve it. And we know when we have truly earned it. Mrs. Eddy says in the Message to The Mother Church for 1902, "Happiness consists in being and doing good; only what God gives, and what we give ourselves and others through His tenure, confers happiness: conscious worth satisfies the hungry heart, and nothing else can."'02.,p. 17
We want to be appreciated, but we also find joy in appreciating the good qualities expressed by others. This is an evidence of spiritual-mindedness. This perceptive thought is rewarded, as Christ Jesus tells us, "He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward." Matt. 10:41
To grow spiritually, we need to gain a correct concept of God and of His image and likeness, man. We are blessed by cultivating a true appreciation of everyone, including God's messengers whose words and deeds are recorded in the Bible. Especially is this true of our Way-shower, Christ Jesus. Also we must recognize the true worth of his faithful follower, our Leader, Mrs. Eddy.
It is not so much that these individuals need our recognition of their greatness of character; this is already established. It is that we need to reach the altitude of thought that enables us to perceive the divine qualities expressed by them. This is a measure of our spirituality and fulfills Jesus' command to "judge righteous judgment." John 7:24
Mrs. Eddy points to the need for a true appraisal of God's messengers in these words: "The great miracle, to human sense, is divine Love, and the grand necessity of existence is to gain the true idea of what constitutes the kingdom of heaven in man. This goal is never reached while we hate our neighbor or entertain a false estimate of anyone whom God has appointed to voice His Word." Science and Health, p. 560
A teacher in a Christian Science Sunday School told of an experience she had had with her class. She said that she was making no progress: the pupils were restless, and there were many evidences of apathy and indifference. She prayed earnestly about it, and the error was uncovered as antagonism toward Mrs. Eddy. When this was handled, and a right appreciation of our Leader established, the situation changed completely. The atmosphere in the class became harmonious, and all the pupils displayed interest and enthusiasm.
Testimonies at the Wednesday testimony meetings and in the Christian Science periodicals from time to time bring out the fact that healings have resulted when a right estimate of Mrs. Eddy was arrived at. Now, a newcomer to Christian Science might ask: "Why is this so? Why is it important to have a right concept of Mrs. Eddy? What does this have to do with being healed?" He might be answered by another question, "Could anyone expect to gain a correct understanding of Christianity without a proper appreciation of Christ Jesus and his works?" Obviously not. Likewise, one cannot properly understand Christian Science unless he rightly appreciates Mrs. Eddy and her place in religious history.
Christian Scientists respect and love Mrs. Eddy. They are loyal to her and are deeply grateful for all that she has done for them and for the world. But they do not idolize or worship her. This would be contrary to everything that she taught. It is all a matter of true evaluation, a correct sense of her individuality and her mission.
True appreciation includes a right sense of one's own selfhood as a child of God. In obeying the commandment to love our neighbor as ourselves, we must be sure to love ourselves as well as our neighbor. We have the God-given talent to perceive our true identity, to love it, and to express it.
In seeing the good qualities manifested by ourselves and others, we must always acknowledge God as the source of these qualities and realize that man has no personal power. We can remember that when Jesus was addressed as "good Master," he said, "Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God." Matt. 19: 16, 17
The yearning to be appreciated is the yearning to be loved. To appreciate truly is to love truly. This is why we look to divine Love for true appreciation—either to receive it or to give it. And we never look in vain. Love ever cherishes its offspring, man, and endows him with the ability to love his Father-Mother God and all that He has created.
