Good morning! Today I am thinking about how it is difficult to live out the ‘golden rule’ when the people around you are not doing the same.
“So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.”
Matthew 7:12 (The Golden Rule)
There were a few interactions yesterday where I was dealing with people that had me wishing I wasn’t LOL! Generally, I try my best to be polite, courteous, selfless, and compassionate to others in every situation. It doesn’t always work out that way – but because those are my intentions, it bothers me when people don’t reciprocate.
One thing that took me a while to learn is that everyone is different and I can only control the things I do, not what others do or how I’m treated by them.
The Bible encourages us many times to love those who persecute us, love our enemies, love our neighbors, etc. But what do we do when we don’t feel like it or when other people don’t deserve it?!
That is where I found myself yesterday, in a place where I had to make a decision with people to either treat them as I would want to be treated, or treat them how they deserved to be treated.
Recently, Josh and I have been having this exact conversation. He has been reacting to some of his friends in a negative way, instead of treating them as he would have wanted to be treated. And in other cases, he has been the initiator of teasing others in a way that would normally bother him.
The truth is… it doesn’t matter if we feel like it and it doesn’t matter if others deserve it, we should treat others with respect, love, and grace. We should do this because this is the exact way that God treats us. How many of us live perfectly according to God’s Word? None of us!
We don’t ever know what situation another person may be walking through or why they feel the need to treat us in a way that we think is unfair.
Listen to this ‘crazy’ verse in the Bible…
“Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.”
1 Peter 3:9
Repay evil with blessing – this doesn’t make any sense, right?! But the promise is for us to inherit a blessing. This is a present and future blessing. Presently it allows us to experience peace, joy, and closeness with God while also guarding our hearts against bitterness. In the future we know that our reward is eternal life spent with Jesus!
Let’s do our best today to follow the ‘golden rule’ by treating others how God treats us! He is compassionate, full of love, and forgiving beyond what we deserve. Living this way will honor God and make a positive impact on the people around us!
Heavenly Father, thank You for continuing to show us how to live in a way that brings blessings into our lives! It’s not always easy and it’s not always what we want to do, but treating others as we would want to be treated helps us to put Your love on display! Help us to be slow to judgement and quick to forgive! In Jesus Name – AMEN!
Be Transformed 