We have committed the Golden Rule to memory; let us now commit it to life.
~Edwin Markham~
Have you ever thought about the Golden Rule and how in the last few decades society has twisted it so much that it's not even recognizable anymore? From "do unto others as you would have them do unto you" we have evolved it into "do unto others before they do unto you".
As a young mother, I tried very hard to instill the Golden Rule into my sons' psyches. Even they made their own version: "well that's how he treats me so that must be how he wants to be treated". They were very young then and have long since outgrown that mindset.
The Golden Rule is a beautiful thing, in my opinion. Can you just imagine what kind of world this would be if every living person lived by that rule? There would be no hate, no crime, no war, no revenge. I think I've just described Utopia!
I try very hard to live by the Golden Rule but I'm a flawed human so I don't always succeed. I have found something that helps me, though. It's just a simple little Bible verse but oh is it powerful! Matthew 25:45 says "Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’"
How simple can that be? Whatever you do to others, however you treat them, is what you do and how you treat our Lord. Whenever I find myself in a situation where I might be leaning to treating someone not so well or maybe ignoring a need they have, I've learned to ask myself, "would I treat Jesus this way?" Almost always, I change the course I was about to take. Remember the "WWJD" that was so popular a few years ago? That's a twist on the same Bible verse. What would Jesus do? He would treat even the lowest of the world with loving respect.
So, there you have it. Even those who say they don't believe in God can still live by that rule. Call it respect if you want. The principle is the same. Everyone wants to be loved, accepted and forgiven. Who are we to deny to others what we want for ourselves? Think about it...
