The Golden Rule

“So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” -Matthew 7:12

I’m sure you’ve heard this before. The “golden rule” is one of Jesus’ most popular sayings. I remember always walking by a poster in the hallway of my elementary school that had those exact words on it.

This isn’t anything profound. It’s really quite simple. How do you want to be treated? Surely you want to be treated with respect and kindness, given the benefit of the doubt. Surely you want to be loved. Act like this to other people. Don’t hate on people, being quick to judge their intentions. And don’t treat them with indifference, as if they are something less than human. Invest in them. It’s that simple!

Now, some people use the excuse of “I don’t like myself, so am I supposed to not like other people?” No. This is missing the point. If you don’t like yourself, work it out with God. He’ll have some things to say about who you are and why you’re valuable. Then, when you have worked it out with God, remember the process that you went through to help yourself and be in prayer in the same way for others who do not like themselves.

It’s not always easy to treat people well, especially when it comes to looking bad yourself, but make a practice of it. God rewards obedience. Store up treasures in heaven. Love on people. But most of all, love on God, because you can do all things through his strength.