Matthew 7:12 Luke 6:31
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12 “In
everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you,
for this is the Law and the Prophets.
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31 “Treat
others the same way you want them to treat you.
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Simplicity is one of my favorite things. There is something wonderful about taking
things or thoughts and making them simple.
That is one of my main goals when I teach and write this blog. This is one of my favorite verses because it
crystalizes and simplifies one of our main responsibilities as believers in a
way that is very hard to forget and impossible to misunderstand. Unfortunately, as easy as this truth is to
understand, it is very hard to consistently put into practice. We are, by nature, selfish and have a very
hard time placing the needs of others above our own. In order to accomplish difficult tasks, it is
sometimes helpful to break them down into smaller steps. That is what I hope to be able to do with the
“Golden Rule.”
HOW - THE RESEARCH: In order to be able to obey this
commandment about treating others it is important for us to do some soul
searching and research. If I am going to
treat others as I would like to be treated; I must know how I would like to be
treated. Most of the time, we simply
respond to people instinctively according to how they are treating us. This is a natural way to live our lives but
it is not pleasing to God. Before we
respond to any situation, we must stop and take time to analyze the right way
to respond. One of the best ways to do
this is to simply ask the question: What would I wish for someone to do if the
tables were turned? One of the basic
rules of communication is to think before you talk. It is also good advice to think before you
respond to any situation. God wants us
to consider our words and actions carefully.
This involves the discipline of stopping to think about what we would
like before we respond.
WHAT - THE RESPONSE: This is the hardest part of the
process: actually doing what we know to be right. As important as it is to stop and think about
what we would like others to do to us; it is not enough. We must follow through on that information
and do it. This is the spiritual problem
we all face. Many times, we know what we
should do. We simply don’t want to do
it. The Bible teaches us that we have
corrupt hearts and minds that often lead down paths of sinfulness. God empowers us through His Spirit to be able
to overcome the desires of our sinful hearts and obey Him. His will and the well-being of others must be
priorities in our lives. There is very
little more to be said about this, it simply comes down to doing what we know
is right.
WHY - THE REASON: Jesus concludes this thought by giving
some basic motivation. When we treat
others as we would like to be treated, we are fulfilling the Law and the
Prophets. God has revealed Himself to us
in His Word. The Bible is a very big
book and it can be very complicated for us to understand and remember all that
the Bible demands. Jesus makes it all
very simple for us. If we will truly
practice this one command; we will be in compliance with all that was taught in
the Law and the Prophets. There are
great rewards associated with obeying God’s Word. It will make our lives on earth much more
enjoyable. Our relationships will be
rewarding and we will be at peace with all the people around us. More importantly, God will be pleased with
our lives and has promised eternal rewards to those who love and obey Him.
APPLICATION: Take time to think about how we would like to
be treated before responding to any situation.
Make the commitment to follow through on doing what we know to be
right. Think about the rewards of
obedience and the consequences of disobedience as a constant means of
motivation in our lives.
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