Your table matters and so do your table manners! Who is hanging around your table, lately?
Around the dinner table you learn some of the most valuable lessons in life that are bigger than how you hold your fork! You learn respect by listening and you watch and observe how others engage with one another! You practice love by watching what you say and how you say it to your brother, cousin or bestie. Being around the table consistently, night after night, you are able to develop good character, and over time produce good habits. Why does this matter? Because we are image bearers of Christ!
Lets dive into three valuable virtues that reflect a God-Like-Manner and can be practiced around the table.
God-like- manners stem from the greatest tool we have, scripture! And God-like-manners result from training, practice, guidance and healthy expectations communicated over time. Manners are learned and require intention and consistency. Lets start with our own heart. Scripture says to “love your neighbor as yourself!”
But…do you love yourself? Because if you can’t love who God made you to be first, you can’t possibly love your neighbor, according to scripture? The more you love the little things about you, the more your response to others will be, love. Because healthy, Christ like love is contagious and the more you accept and receive Gods love, the more God- Like - Manner you will reflect.
Reminder: God Loves you!
Love and respect go hand in hand. If you love who God made you to be, then you realize your body and your heart are apart of his creation and reflect his nature! “Be filled with the Spirit,” Ephesians 5:18. Being a part of his creation full of his spirit, you are called to be his reflection!
Respect is an action. Respect says I care about you regardless of your status or your job or what school you go to or what type of backpack you have! Lead with respect and if someone doesn’t return the favor, that’s ok. You’re responsible for how you lead; so let Gods love form respectful actions!
Reminder: Respecting others starts with self-respect!
Love leads to respect and respect leads to doing the right thing! In todays world is it so easy to second guess what to do or be misguided by self centered advice! May Gods word be a light for your path when faced with decisions. “Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path. ” (Psalm 119) Of course there will be times that we don’t do the right thing and that’s OK because we serve a God who forgives and restores! But may your days and weeks and months around your table, provide you with the practice you need to do the right thing more often than not. We need a world that allows Christ’s love to be contagious first, in our own heart! And allow that burning heart to feed how we see and feel about the people around us. So when we are faced with decisions, hard ones and easy ones, we will have the confidence produced by Gods love in our hearts to be courageous. To step out. To seek his approval above all else. And may we charge to repeat this same beautiful practice, opening up our table to those God has called us to.
May your Christmas table be full,
xxx, Molly