Got Manners?

I enjoy the work I do. I enjoy writing and drawing my observations of people. Many times I get so engrossed with what I am seeing, I forget to write or draw about it. It takes time to digest some of the things people do and don't think anything about (Proverbs 4:7 KJV). I was asked today after discussing why grown children are happy returning home to reside with their parents well after their 30's. The definitive answer came back, its how they were raised (Proverbs 22:6 KJV). The parents don't have a problem with it, then why should the children? When parents raise their children, what they become is presented to people as representations of who the parents are. This would also be true with common sense. What's common sense to one may not be with another. This is why with this subject matter, we will stay with what is universal to all.

This post is for those who would like to date for the purposes of marriage but all that you have been fortunate to converse with have been scrubs, scallywags, and dregs of society. This can be male or female. Wouldn't you like a clean cut, Christian minded, mannerly, soft spoken person with family values, high ideals and morals? [Sigh] Think of how wonderful that would be with that perfect person just for you [sigh again]. Knowing of it all being possible with God (Mark 9:23 AMP), let's see what you bring to the table. Morals? Holiness? Any righteousness left in there after dealing with the ilks of the world? Who are you?

I was listening to a bus driver tell a passenger of when he was on his route he saw a woman getting her butt beat by this guy on the street. He immediately stopped the bus to rescue this woman from her attacker. The driver was ready to give this man the beating of his life for lifting his arm to strike a woman; but he had to stop himself because the very woman he was trying to rescue had jumped on his back and was hitting him with both of her fists to defend her boyfriend. I don't know how long ago it was when that happened to him but I could hear the hurt in his voice when he was describing the scene. He concluded with, "I will never do that again." His conclusion hurt my feelings and I didn't know him, the woman he rescued, or the person he was talking to. I prayed for his heart not to be jaded and for him to hold onto the principles that his parents taught him. I didn't think of the matter any longer allowing faith to do what it does (James 5:16 KJV).

I am reminded of the matter now understanding the hearts of people who have seen or been through so much, that what they know to do is right, they stop to contemplate whether they should do it or not in order to protect themselves (James 4:17 KJV). No one likes feeling hurt or embarrassed because they put themselves out there when no one else would. Nevertheless, we serve an Almighty God who would put a variety of situations in place for us to use what we know to use. How we fare in the situation determines the outcome of where your life is right now or where it is headed (1 Thessalonians 2:4 AMP). Will you keep the ingredients for Kingdom Living or will you have to search for them again after fulfilling what the flesh would have you do?

I saw a pregnant woman on the bus. It was a hot summer day and the bus was late. All of the passengers were hot, hungry, tired and irritable. No one wanted to say anything to anyone else. The bus filled quickly. Not only was the pregnant woman not allowed to get on the bus first, when all of the seats were filled, no one gave up a seat when she did get on the bus. I thought about what we were all thinking, hoping someone else would give up a seat so that the other person wouldn't have to. We all knew what the right thing to do would be and at the same time, I thought about the pregnant woman. Why was she taking a bus? Why didn't she have favor with anyone in getting a seat? Why didn't the bus driver who was looking at her in his rear view mirror ask any of the men to get up for her? I was disgusted with the men - and not just teenage boys who could have been raised by a teen mother, but the older men weren't giving up a chair either. I got up for the pregnant woman to have a seat. Just when I did a man gave his seat for me. Was manners the issue or was she being judged?

There use to be a time when men were gentle and mannerable. They use to get up from their seat when a woman walked into a room. Outside men would tip their hats to any female that crossed their path and if she came to a puddle, the gentleman would lay his coat in the puddle so she wouldn't mess up her shoes. Purchasing the meal when going out on a date or just getting a hot dog was an automatic gentlemanly thing to do. When walking along the side walk, it was common knowledge to make sure she was on the inside of the street to be protected rather on the same side as the cars. If a man was with a woman whether married or not, there was never another man who might be interested in her ever interrupt and cause a scene. It just wasn't right to do. Peace was priority and to maintain it order was the way to go. What happened to that peace and order? What happened to the manners?

Does God care that we have manners? As long as we praise and worship Him, we are doing good - right? Yet when one looks closer in studying the Word, He does tells us to give Him thanks in all things (1 Thessalonians 5:18 KJV). If that's not manners, what is? He tells us to walk in the Spirit so not to fulfill the lusts of the flesh (Galatians 5:16 KJV). Many times, our flesh would have us do some crazy things. Such as, when someone treats us poorly, we seek revenge. Why is this crazy? The better questions is, why wouldn't you think its crazy? We are to have the habits of walking in love. Doing good no matter what. Being calm even when we would rather rant and rave. After all, keeping peace has much to do with our Kingdom Living. Even with arguing the Word tells us that it doesn't promote righteousness: and isn't righteousness one of those other crucial ingredients in Kingdom Living (Matthew 6:33 KJV)? So again, I ask you - got manners?