Courtesy

Do to others as you would have them do to you (Matthew 7:12).

Whatever happened to courtesy?  We live in a time of Political Correctness, where the worst thing you can do is treat another person with even a hint of disrespect.  Yet we’ve seen members of the political left and right hurl nasty insults at each other.  Social media is filled with all kinds of cyber bullying.  Paparazzi invade the privacy of anyone who’s in the news, and won’t back off even if politely asked.  People with an ax to grind are willing to disrupt book signings and even funerals to make their point. 

When out shopping, I’m astonished at how children behave towards their parents.  I’ve seen kids hit adults and shout “I hate you” when they don’t get their way.  When I was young, such behavior was unthinkable—no child was allowed to show that kind of disrespect to an elder.  I’ve seen customers treat employees like dirt, being rude and demanding instead of patient and polite.  It never ceases to amaze me how shoppers are willing to block aisles while talking, bump others out of the way to grab a product off the shelf, or knock something down and just leave it there.  

Jesus said, Do to others as you would have them do to you.  The Lord gave us this rule because sin exerts a powerful influence on how we treat each other.  Children need to be trained in more than math and reading and science; children need to be taught politeness.  It is not in our nature to say please or thank you.  It is not in our nature to share or take turns.  These are skills that must be taught; these are behaviors that must be insisted on or they will not become habitual. And being a society of consumers only adds to the problem.  Employees are trained to behave as if the customer is always right.  Sadly, this allows shoppers to be rude and obnoxious without consequence or repercussion. 

I try to be courteous when dealing with others; as fellow children of God, they have a right to be treated with respect and kindness.  There are plenty of times when my behavior falls short of the mark, and I am thankful that Jesus is willing to forgive me.  But more often than not, my efforts at courtesy are rewarded with smiles of gratitude.  In all your conversations, try to show kindness and respect—after all, it’s how you want to be treated, I’m sure.