Children often forget their manners\u2014and sometimes adults do as well\u2014but manners make a huge difference in our everyday lives. I\u2019d never thought about it before, but God does an amazing job of teaching us manners in His Word.<\/p>\n
He tells us to have a thankful heart. I Thessalonians 5:18 says, \u201cGive thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.\u201d The words \u201cthank you\u201d are so simple, but they mean so much to the recipient. Today would be a great opportunity to thank Him for all the things we so often take for granted. And it would be a wonderful time to thank those who\u2019ve impacted our lives in big and little ways. <\/p>\n
In Philippians 2:14, He advises us to not be grumblers, \u201cDo all things without grumbling or questioning.\u201d Nobody likes to hear someone grumble and complain all the time. The Children of Israel did that to Moses about the manna that God sent to feed them. Instead of being thankful that they had food\u2014that they weren\u2019t going hungry\u2014they complained about what they were eating. I know there have been many instances when I\u2019ve grumbled about circumstances\u2014and then realized later that what God had sent me was far better than what I\u2019d wanted. Having that truly thankful heart will keep us from having a complaining spirit.<\/p>\n
God wants us to be respectful to others. That includes teachers, bosses, co-workers, siblings and parents. In 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13, He tells us, \u201cWe ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves.\u201d I love how being respectful leads to peace.<\/p>\n
He tells us to be kind\u2014and the cool thing is that there\u2019s a bonus in that for us. Proverbs 11:17 says, \u201cA man who is kind benefits himself, but a cruel man hurts himself.\u201d<\/p>\n
The words we say are important\u2014and even the way that we say them. Words like \u201cI\u2019m sorry\u201d or \u201cI appreciate you\u201d go a long way in relationships. In Psalm 19:14, the Bible says, \u201cLet the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.\u201d Words can uplift or defeat us\u2014and often what we say can be remembered for the rest of someone\u2019s life. I want my words to be remembered in a good way.<\/p>\n
A refresher course in manners is good for all of us\u2014especially when it\u2019s God giving the lesson. Can you imagine a society where all of us treated other people in a kind and mannerly way? It would be awesome\u2026and there\u2019s no reason why we can\u2019t impact our world like that. Maybe you\u2019d like to join me today in saying, \u201cI want it to begin with me.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Children often forget their manners\u2014and sometimes adults do as well\u2014but manners make a huge difference in our everyday lives. I\u2019d never thought about it before, but God does an amazing job of teaching us manners in His Word. He tells us to have a thankful heart. I Thessalonians 5:18 says, \u201cGive thanks in all circumstances; […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":116,"featured_media":30482,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"ep_exclude_from_search":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[379],"tags":[159,21,27],"ppma_author":[474],"class_list":["post-23683","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-inspirational-bible-verses","tag-bible","tag-kindness","tag-positive-thinking"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n