Remember the Golden Rule

“Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 7:12) NKJV

As I write these words, our nation is in turmoil. A presidential election has just taken place and there are rampant allegations of fraud. Whether all of the allegations or even a few of them are true, we may never know.

However, trouble has been brewing among our people for years. Our country’s two party system appears to be broken as leaders of both political parties express disdain for each other. Our current president has called for justice, while our soon-to-be president is calling for unity. Sadly, I have little hope that the desire of either man will come to pass. Oh, I have faith that the Lord can make it happen, but we the people must want it and work for it to happen.

Fingers are being pointed, hate is raging strong and our country is sorely divided.
Voters on both sides are recalling the past misdeeds of the other, all the while vowing revenge in the future. At times, it seems as if our country is on the brink of a second civil war.

In all the pandemonium, I recall a verse of scripture that was introduced to me early in life as the golden rule. Although it is never referred to in the Word of God as the golden rule, that is how it has become popularly known.

The golden rule was given by Jesus during His Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 7:12 and has been paraphrased as follows, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

Christ’s instruction to His followers is to be proactive instead of reactive. It is human nature to fire back at the one who fires the first shot or to treat others as they have treated us, but these things are not what Jesus told us to do.

In fact, He taught us to take the first step in blessing others. We are to bless not only those who bless us, but also those who have shown themselves to be our enemies.
The Lord’s point was that It does not matter how others have treated us, how much injustice they have dealt us or how many false accusations they have hurled our way. We are to treat them as we would have them to treat us.

Child of God, the only way healing will ever come to this land we love is for us to do what Jesus said. We must stop being reactionary and begin proactively blessing even those who have done or would seek to do us wrong.

Did Jesus say, “Do unto others as THEY HAVE DONE to you?” No! He said, “Do unto others as you WOULD HAVE THEM DO unto you.”

Read Leviticus 19:18; Matthew 5:38-48; Galatians 5:14; 1 Peter 3:9