Have we forgotten the golden rule?

"Do to others as you would have them do to you." - The Golden Rule .  It's part of Jesus' famous discourse known as the ...

"Do to others as you would have them do to you." - The Golden Rule.
 It's part of Jesus' famous discourse known as the Sermon on the Mount. In it, He talks about a lot of things modern believers in America don't like to apply to daily living. Things like "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy," and "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God," and "whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also," and "love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you."
That's HARD stuff. Stuff that doesn't come naturally to our humanity.
From the time we're toddlers, our human nature inclines itself toward "do to others AS they have done to you" or "do to others BEFORE they do to you." 
So how do you apply these instructions from Jesus when it comes to current events? When it comes to, say, health care, immigration reform, or this week's media tempest: building a mosque near the site Ground Zero in Manhattan.
The Golden Rule is one of the most basic statements in scripture. It doesn't take a rocket scientist or a theologian to figure out Christ's meaning or intent: Treat other people the way you WANT to be treated. In other words, if you wouldn't want it done to you, don't do it to them. Ya know, that might simplify all these decisions and questions and policy-making debates, if we'd just put it into practice.
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3 Comments

  1. I LOVE your meaty posts.

    A good intro for me as I begin a week of servanthood at a writers' conference...

    Blessings, dear one!
    Patti

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  2. Hey Niki,
    Really thoughtful post... I tend to grapple with things too! I'm comforted by the fact that nothing people or principalities do to diminish God's handiwork throws Him off balance. His love never fails. He knows how it turns out in the end.

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  3. Thanks Patti! Have a wonderful time giving of your gift this week, and receiving blessings multiplied back to you in return!

    SO true, Cheryl. God isn't worried or stressed or freaked out about anything! Somehow that makes it easier to sit back and say, "this too shall pass." Thanks for commenting!

    ReplyDelete

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