Whatever happened to common courtesy? With all that is going on in our country surrounding the election of a new president, we have seen levels of division like never before. Everyone has an opinion and the means to “post”, “tweet”, or tell others just what they think at any time. Instead of meaningful discussions on the important topics of today, we bash each other with what we think is right. As a Christian, I have been looking for ways to edify, or encourage others rather that cut them down.
A Word About Courtesy
Christian author David Jeremiah writes about common courtesy. He says, “At the heart of courtesy is humility. In fact, the Greek word can be translated either as “be courteous” or “be humble” as in 1 Peter 3:8. Here, Peter says “Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous“. The Greek word is actually a combination of two words that mean “lowly” and “mind”. To be “lowly in mind” is to be humble-the opposite of being arrogant or prideful. The same word occurs in Philippians 2:3 where Paul says, “But in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.” When we hold the door open for another person, or let a person go ahead of us in traffic, we are putting them first. We are being humble; we are being courteous-just like Jesus.”
We can be courteous every day. Simple things like Dr. Jeremiah suggests, holding a door or allowing someone to get ahead of you in traffic, are things we can all do. If we are mindful of being humble, we will find that we can be courteous to everyone we encounter!
Courtesy – Pass It On
McDonald’s of Clarkesville and Cornelia and Now Habersham’s Pass It On campaign embodies the idea of being courteous. By clicking on the Pass It On icon in the top right corner of this page, you can read a list of needs submitted by people in our community. By clicking Meet A Need , you can submit your contact information so we can put you together with someone in need that you are able to help. In the New Living Translation of the Bible, Philippians 2:3-4 reads like this: “Don’t be selfish, don’t live to make a good impression on others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourself. Don’t think only about your own affairs, but be interested in others, too, and what they are doing.” Pass It On gives people in our community a way to “be interested in others” and help them out when we can. Let’s use all of the modern resources we have to be courteous every day!
