One of the first things parents teach their kids is to say Please and Thank you. When children are taught manners they learn to respect themselves and others.
Those character traits become habits and are carried into adulthood.
Manners aren't just proper etiquette. Our parents were trying to instill a respect, an interest, and a caring for others. Those kind of qualities lead to life long friendships.
We can all remember folks who were heavy on talent and light on manners. Either they or their parents made them the center of life and they became legends in their own mind. Those poor folks often become lonely because they are no fun to be around.
We always need to remember to say Please and Thank you to the folks we work with. Everyone including ourselves needs to feel appreciated.
We need to be an example of manners around our families. Isn't it interesting how we pick up habits, good or bad, from our folks. Then as we get older we see things we used to do in our kids.
I'm often asked what kind of business plan it takes for a family to work together. The only plan that works successfully is when those family members care more about each other than they do about themselves.
Working and playing hard and giving 110%, not having a pecking order and giving everyone responsibility, and having manners and caring about each other is the recipe for an enjoyable and productive experience together.
In 2 Kings 20 there is an interesting story about a king. He was sick and a prophet came to him and told him to get things in order because he was going to die.
The king prayed and pleaded with God. He asked God to please let him live. Before the prophet even got out of the house God told him to turn around and tell the king he heard him say please and God was going to give him another 15 years.
Not long later folks came to visit the king, to talk about his remarkable recovery, and to see all his stuff. The Bible says the king showed his guests everything he owned. He forgot to give God the credit for his recovery and he forgot to say Thank you for all his God given stuff.
The prophet came back to the king and told him since he took all the credit those same guests were coming back after he had died and were going to steal everything he owned including his children. Look up the kings response. It indicates he only cared about himself.
When we love, care about, and take care of others, God loves, cares about, and takes care of us. In fact, that's the heart of the gospel.
The Bible says the greatest commandment is we are to love the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. And a second is just as important, love others with all those same attributes as much as or more than we love yourselves. The second part of that commandment is what brings joy, energy, and contentment to our lives.
Thank you Lord for putting people we love and care about in our lives. And Please help us not to take credit away from You for the things You do for us and give us. Amen.
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