Matthew 7:12 Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.
Luke 6:31 And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.
We can all agree that the Word of God is the ultimate instruction book. God has gifted us with the Bible so that we can live according to His words and thereby achieve true “success” (Joshua 1:8). Out of all the commandments and instructional verses that God gives to us, one that especially stands out to me is the “Golden Rule.”
The “Golden Rule” is not a phrase that is found in the Bible, but its teachings ring loud and clear. This rule became the popular way that many use to refer to Christ’s words in Matthew 7:12 and Luke 6:31. This rule is a great way to emphasize and instruct us to respect the dignity and needs of others. It’s also a way for us to understand that we, too, are capable of wrongdoing on those around us.
Jesus was making it clear that the best way to live amongst one another is to treat one another in the same way we would want to be treated ourselves. Simplified, if you want kindness shown to you, then show kindness. If you want mercy shown to you, then show mercy when the opportunity presents itself.
Most people will claim that they just want to be treated “fairly” in life, but what most people want is to have others treat them better than they are willing to treat others in return. A husband can rebuke his wife for not listening, but does he take the time to listen? A parent can chastise their child for not being kind to their siblings, but do those same parents show kindness in the home?
I’m thankful for the privilege of growing up in our church. Early on, I learned from my leaders that leadership is NOT a status a person achieves so they can be served more, but rather, it is a position of serving others more. As a leader, if we want people to help serve in our areas of ministry, we must first do what we can to plant “seeds of serving” ourselves.
I wish I could say that I am always willing and excited to be a blessing to everyone. Sadly, I cannot say this honestly. Now there are times I condition myself to be a blessing to someone that my flesh would not want to be a blessing to otherwise, but not as often as I would like. In every job, whether ministry or secular, we will have situations when we are asked to help others, and sometimes at the inconvenience of our schedule.
There are some people that I can rely on because they have come through for me in the past. Whenever they ask a favor of me, it’s ALWAYS easy and always a yes, if possible. This is because they are a practitioner of the Golden Rule.
The lesson is that before we ever complain about what people aren’t doing for us, let us first consider this: what are we doing for others? If we focused more on loving, giving, sharing, helping, encouraging, and listening to others as much as we would want in return, then we would be more blessed this way.
Matthew 7:12 Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.
