The Golden Rule

[Jesus said,] “Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets.”

Matthew 7:12

You’ve likely heard the Golden Rule ever since you were small. Someone probably told you, “Do to others as you would have them do to you” or “Treat others the way you want them to treat you.” These are simply other ways of saying today’s verse. That makes Jesus the first person to say what we know as the Golden Rule.

Many times people use that rule to mean you shouldn’t treat someone badly if that person treats you badly. For instance, if someone trips you while you’re walking down the hall, don’t look for a chance to trip him or her in return. If someone is rude to you, don’t be rude back. While it’s good to avoid getting even when someone treats you unfairly or unkindly, Jesus’ words mean more than that. They are a call to action.

Think of it this way. You see an unpopular boy get pushed from behind. Everything he’s carrying goes flying. You might think, Wow. I’d never treat anyone like that, because I’d hate to be treated like that. That’s good. But what’s better is to look at the poor kid picking up his stuff and ask yourself, If that were me, what would I want someone to do for me? You’d want help picking up your stuff, and maybe you’d want someone to say something encouraging to help you feel better about the situation. In that case, that’s what you should do for the boy.

Don’t just avoid getting even with others. Jesus wants his princesses to step out and take action. How would that look in your life? It would mean looking around and seeing the needs of people. Does your mom look tired while she’s preparing dinner? If you were your mom, what would you want someone to do for you? Help you set the table? Help you peel the potatoes? Go ahead and do it for her. Is your little brother struggling with his math? If that were you, what would you want someone to do for you? Explain it to you? Help you do a couple of the problems? Sit by you as you do the homework? Do that for him.

You may not always feel like doing the right thing. It may mean going out of your way, helping when you don’t feel like it, or doing more work when you were all ready to have fun or relax. Just consider it your job as a princess, and do it for Jesus.

Look for someone with a need. Ask yourself what you’d want someone to do for you in that situation, and then go do it. Keep a Golden Rule journal this week, and write down one way you lived it out each day.