Gathering One

Person To Person

The Golden Rule

Do to others as you would have them do to you. Luke 6:31

People like to be treated well. That should be simple enough to understand. No one wants to be bullied, abused, or manipulated. All of us desire to be shown courtesy and respect from our fellow neighbors on this planet. If we would all deal with people the way that we wanted to be treated, the world would be a much more pleasant place to live. Sounds simple, doesn’t it?

Jesus taught this principle during His ministry on earth. This little piece of relational advice was coined “The Golden Rule.” It is easy to memorize and to agree with, but terribly difficult to obey. Unethical businesspeople take financial advantage of employees and clients, neighborhoods disintegrate because of violence and fear, families erupt with tension and division, all contrary to the teaching of the Golden Rule. Whether between teachers and students, political parties, ethnic groups, or generations, there is definitely a need to understand and practice mutual respect.

Unfortunately, even the church is not exempt from discrimination and division. The same mistreatment of people can occur within the body of Christ as it does in the world. But the Head of the church authored the Golden Rule. Jesus calls us to practice human decency, mature interaction, and personal consideration of others.

That is why Christ followers are given clear instruction with this code of care and kindness. When the Golden Rule is followed, we influence the world with authentic love and respect. We will refuse to treat others the way they treat us. Getting back is not our response to mistreatment. Getting real in our relationships is our goal.

Can the Golden Rule use some spit and polish in your life? When we are willing to value and respect each other, we will cultivate more loving and caring environments in our world, church, place of employment, and family.