“Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you,” as Matthew 7:12 says. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets. The world was founded on the golden rule. It has been the standard by which we live and the measure for the Christian. However, the golden rule is not as important in society today as it used to be. We tend to govern ourselves and live by our own standards now. This world would be an easier place to live in if everyone lived by the golden rule. You will find peace and great reward when you strive to live your life following the example of Jesus. Seems so simple, right? Treat others the way you want to be treated. Yet, it is so difficult to live by. We tend to forget how we want to be treated when we treat others with disrespect. We think that we deserve their respect, but they don’t deserve ours. We live by the thought that if someone wrongs us, we should wrong them back. Revenge is something we see played out in movies and TV shows, so it can be difficult to treat others with respect when the world is preaching a different message.
Do you find it tricky to treat others the way you want to be treated? Spend some time in prayer today with the Lord, asking him to help you with the way you treat others. If you need to, you can even make a list of how you want to be treated, and then pray that God would help you treat others in that same way.