Golden Rule
Most people have heard of “The Golden Rule.”
Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Luke 6:31
This principle was written centuries ago and was contained in the Jewish scriptures which Jesus and others heard from week to week in their worship services. Jesus quotes it when He is teaching His friends and followers because it is important for us to know and practice.
As we share and support friends and loved ones, we often do for them what we would like them to do for us. Jesus says in that context there is no real challenge because it is easy to love and care for those who love and care for us.
If you love only those who love you, should you get any special praise for doing that? No, even sinners love those who love them! If you do good only to those who do good to you, should you get any special praise for doing that? No, even sinners do that!
Luke 6:32-33
What makes this teaching so challenging is that we are to behave this way with people who don’t love us or even treat us very well.
Love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you. Ask God to bless the people who ask for bad things to happen to you. Pray for the people who are mean to you.
Luke 6:27b-28
We’ve all been hurt and disappointed in our past. We’ve also hurt and disappointed others. Jesus wants all of us to move forward, find healing, and live well. He knows that holding grudges and failing to make amends is a recipe for bitterness and disaster of the heart.
What’s God’s way for us to live successfully today? When someone irritates us or we reflect on a person we are avoiding, God’s says: “Love…do good…ask God to bless…and pray.”
Loving God, as You have loved us, we ask You to help us do the same to others.
Who is a person on my “challenging person list” to whom I can apply The Golden Rule today?
It’s so hard to bless and do good and particularly to people who irritated us or who have harmed us.
Please work in our hearts and give us the courage and strength to bless others and live the Golden Rule from a heart of thanksgiving for all You have done for us. Amen
So, that uncomfortable question for a moment of reflection: who is a person on my “challenging person list” to whom I can apply The Golden Rule today?
Recent Hope For Today
Giving Hope
Partners in Hope is supported wholly by our friends and community. We are thankful to everyone who partners with us to help bring hope to the discouraged, hurting, and hopeless.