Today I want to talk about something that is almost a lost art in today’s culture.
It’s a thing called manners. How many of you grew up in a home where your mom or dad told you, “Son, mind your manners”?
In today’s culture, it seems manners have fallen by the wayside. People have gotten away from being courteous and treating others with respect. They want everybody to “respect me,” but don’t feel they should have to respect anyone else.
The Bible talks about how in the last days people would become lovers of themselves, proud, arrogant, boastful, ungrateful, and without love (2 Timothy 3:2-3). As parents, we need to make sure that’s not how our kids end up.
We need to teach them good manners. What are manners? Knowing how to treat others with respect, and not taking people for granted or slighting them. Kids need to learn to say, “Yes, ma’am. No, sir. Thank you. Please.” They need to be taught to respect other people’s property and not to interrupt when others are talking.
We also need to teach our kids to put others first. I’ve seen grown men on an airport bus refuse to give up their seat, while a single lady or a mom with a child, or an elderly person had to stand up during the bus ride and hold the strap. That’s being selfish and self-absorbed. We need to teach our kids how to prefer others in those types of situations.
Manners are important. Training our kids to be kind, respectful, and patient will gain them respect and favor.
The Take Away
We are living examples of Jesus Christ on this earth. Unsaved people will watch how we talk, how we act, and how our kids act. We need to show them by our manners what a child of God looks like. Be a good representative of Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5:20).
