Common Courtesies and Loving Well

I can never keep up with all the national days on the calendar, but today seemed most pertinent to talk about. Today is National Common Courtesy Day. Perhaps, after the last few years, we need a bit of a reminder on common courtesies?

Common courtesy is as simple as saying “thank you” or “please” when asking for and receiving a service or assistance. Kindness goes a long way in our culture today and is noticed by others even if you don’t even realize it. Simple ways of showing courtesy?

Allowing someone to cut in front of you in traffic.

Helping someone struggling with a heavy load.

Give up your seat during an airport transit.

Taking time to reach out to a new employee.

Initiating with a new neighbor.

Leaving a water bottle on top of your recycling bin for the recycling staff.

Showing respect to others.

Refraining from interrupting people when they're talking.

Staying off your phone when around people.

Upon more research in National Common Courtesy Day, they were not able to identify the founder of this important day. I would like to suggest that God has given us in Scripture guidance in how to love and care for those around us. God is all about love because God IS love!

“'Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?'Jesus replied: ‘Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.’” Matthew 22:37-39

I was reading this verse this morning in my bible study and the question was asked “How do you love your neighbor?” Several thoughts came to mind:

Pray for daily opportunities to love your neighbor- I find that when I ask God in my morning prayers to help me love my neighbor well, He comes through! Why? Because this is God’s heart! He wants us to love others well! Pray that God would use you to be an encouragement to those in your midst. Pray that God would show you ways to share common courtesy with others. Pray that you would notice those who often feel unseen. God will help you love your neighbor as yourself. Just ask.

Care more about listening than being heard- I get it, people want to talk. I sense, since COVID, that people really want to talk and be heard. It’s way easier to talk about ourselves than it is to ask about someone else. Loving our neighbor involves laying aside ourselves and caring about others more than ourselves. That’s not easy to do! But, God, in His grace, helps us love our neighbor. It’s a beautiful thing when you know that it is God helping you love well!

Check-in on how someone is doing- Mental health has taken a hit in the last few years. We’ve all been affected by COVID. Watching this brutal war has also affected us all. Sometimes, the simplest thing we can do is ask “How are you?” and really mean it. Like, we’re in for REALLY hearing how they’re doing. We’re often so busy with our own agendas that we fail to see the opportunity to be present with someone and enter their pain. Many are uncomfortable with others’ pain, so avoidance is easier. Others just don’t take the time. We miss out on caring for people and showing the common courtesy to enter someone’s pain because we fail to ask that three-word question: How are you?

God calls us to live a life showing common courtesy. Loving your neighbor extends well beyond that and requires power outside ourselves. Jesus is ready and available to help You live this kind of life.

Nancy Abbott is the Chaplain of the YMCA of Greater San Antonio.