Golden Rule!

“Treat others the same way you want them to treat you.” Luke 6:31

As young children, most of us were taught some simple rules to help us know how to get along with others. We were taught things such as share your toys, play nicely, get along with others, and be kind. As simple as those rules may seem, most of us had difficulty doing them consistently.

In reality, we spend a lifetime learning how to apply them in our lives. Before long, we come to understand that these rules stand in stark contrast to popular culture, where sayings such as “I’m looking out for number one,” or “Me first” are most often heard. The problem is when you learn to live by these rules called ‘me first,’ you’re not only setting yourself up for failure but also making it harder to achieve success in life.

That is why Jesus made it clear that His followers were to apply a different rule in their lives. We have come to call it the Golden Rule, and we find it recorded here in Luke 6:31. Like the things we learned as kids, treating others as we would want to be treated may sound simple enough. However, in a practical application, we discover that being kind, showing compassion, offering forgiveness, practicing patience, and treating others with respect can be challenging to do consistently—even though that is how we would like to be treated.

Only with God’s help and by His love shining through us can we live out this Golden Rule each day. We must remember that this is not about us only, but rather our fellow human beings and generation to come as well. You and your neighbor are one. You all have a responsibility to care for each other and give each other the best of what you have. Galatians 5:14 says, “For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

Prayer:
1. Father, guide my thoughts, words, and actions so that Your Golden Rule will be reflected in my life.
2. I boldly decree and declare, according to the word of the Lord in Malachi 3:11, that your vine (life, marriage, ministry, job/career, business, and health) shall no longer fail to bear fruit daily in the name of Jesus. Amen.