Interacting with Other People – Part 10
Categories: Bulletin Articles Tags: Interacting with Other People
To interacting successfully with other people, we need to have good manners. What is the function of manners? They are niceties that people employ to maintain cordial relationships. Ephesians 4:32 says, “And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.” The word for “forgive” in this verse is the Greek word charizomai. It contains the idea of giving a gift to someone or being gracious. In other words, behaving generously toward others. Manners are, in essence, little acts of kindnesses to other people that engender another’s favor.
Sometimes we talk about behavior being “rude.” This means the opposite of being gracious. First Corinthians 13:5 says that love “does not behave rudely.” This Greek word means “to act unbecomingly.” It is the opposite of behaving graciously toward someone. It has the notion within it of causing offense. Christians do not intentionally seek to offend other people, nor do they intentionally seek to be offended by other people. Loving other people means that we will not behave in an ungracious or intentionally offensive way.
So, to make application of these principles, we practice good manners when we interact with others. We say, “please,” “thank you,” “your welcome,” “yes sir,” “no sir,” “yes ma’am,” and “no ma’am.” We chew our food with our mouths closed. We hold the door open for others. We speak to people when we are spoken to. We do these things because we love other people and want to give ourselves away to them in little acts of gracious behavior. We should not, however, use someone’s lack of manners as an excuse to judge or ostracize. We should reflect on these principles in God’s word and ask ourselves how we can improve our relationships. Let’s get outside our own heads and practice good manners toward one another.
God bless you, and I love you.
Kevin Cauley