Philippians 2:3-4, "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others."

Think

Google has a feature that when you search a specific word it gives you the definition, origin, and a new feature that shows on a chart the "Use over time for" that word. Take a second and use google to search the word "manners" to see the chart for "Use over time for." Seriously – stop for a second, go to Google and search the word "manners" so you can see the chart. Manners are all about how we relate to each other. As you can see in the Google chart, "manners" is a word that is disappearing from our vocabulary, but it doesn't stop with our vocabulary. Manners are disappearing from our lives. As we disconnect from personal relationships and separate ourselves through technology, we are losing our ability to rightly relate to one another. God has given us directions for our manners. We don't just think about ourselves. We need to think about how our actions affect others. We need to think about how our decisions affect social situations. We need to follow Jesus' example and make the needs of others a priority. Are your manners showing?

Act

Do an inventory of your manners today. How often do you show respect for those around you by saying a simple "please" or "thank you"? How often do you put someone ahead of yourself by opening a door for them or letting them cut in front of you? Today, be sure your actions show your concern and respect for others.

Pray

My Father in Heaven, thank You for thinking about me! Please help me to think about others. Please open my eyes to the way my actions and decisions impact those around me. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.