“So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” —Matthew 7:12
We’ve all heard of the Golden Rule, but did you know that the phrase “golden rule” doesn’t actually appear in the Bible? You can search through all of scripture and never find that term once.
Instead, we’ve taken the principle of Jesus’s teaching above and given it that name, the Golden Rule. We call it that because its so important and is supposed to be a primary guide in the way we live our lives.
The Golden Rule is really about the ethical treatment of others, and it’s so simple but profound. It’s been around forever. I’ve been taught the Golden Rule since I was a kid, and I’ll bet you have, too.
If you think about it, the Golden Rule makes a whole lot of sense. It’s almost common sense, right? Of course we should treat other people the way we want to be treated! It’s just the right thing to do.
But Jesus says something interesting here that I think is worth digging into. He says that this principle, which we call the Golden Rule, is both the Law and the Prophets. What does He mean by that?
Well, we know what the Law is. The Law was put in place by God to teach us how to be good people and connect with others properly. It’s a set of guidelines that we’re supposed to live by in order to protect ourselves and other people.
But Jesus is saying here that this Golden Rule is the Law. I think what He means is that if we practice this principle perfectly, we’ll be fulfilling the purpose of the Law. We’ll be treating others the way we’re supposed to and living the way God wants us to. This Golden Rule is the key to doing life God’s way!
If you’re a believer, and I hope you are, then your main concern should be pleasing God and doing what He wants you to do. We talked about that last week in our discussion of prayer. If you’re wondering what God wants from you, the Golden Rule is the perfect place to start. We need to treat others the way we want to be treated if we’re going to be the people God has called us to be.
So that’s the Law. What about the Prophets? Prophets were God’s messengers, people like Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Malachi. They told people what God wanted them to know.
And when we live by the Golden Rule, we can do the same thing. There are a lot of people out there who will never crack open a Bible or step into a church. The only chance they have of experiencing the good news of Jesus is through us.
We are the gospel to other people, not only through the words we say, but through the way we live our lives. And living out the Golden Rule is countercultural. It’s different from the way the world works. When we live that way, people will notice.
As Christians, we’re called to love others the way Jesus did. He was the perfect example of how to live out the Golden Rule. He always treated people the way He wanted to be treated, and it drew them in. We’re supposed to do the same. And when we do, we’ll have the opportunity to point others to Jesus.
We know that we’re going to fail sometimes. We’re human, after all. But that’s why we have to stay as close to God possible. Every day, we need to be asking Him, “God, help me Golden Rule it today.”
I was at a restaurant in Tulsa this week for dinner. It had been a hard day, really a hard week. And after I sat down, I realized I had been seated next to a family with kids. They were running around the table, making lots of noise, and disrupting the dinner I was trying to enjoy.
This obviously frustrated me. I was about to turn around and just stare at the parents until they got their kids under control.
But then I thought about how I’d like to be treated if I were in their shoes. I know what it’s like to be a parent. If I were struggling to keep my kids calm in a busy restaurant, would I want someone staring me down? Or would I hope other people might be understanding and cut me a little slack?
If I’m being honest, I’d much prefer the second option. And so, I did my best to practice the Golden Rule. I bit my tongue and endured it as I ate my dinner. At least the food was good!
That’s an ordinary example of what it’s like to put the Golden Rule into practice. It would be very easy for us to go about our lives being harsh with people and treating them poorly. Being kind is hard work. But Jesus tells us that we’re supposed to treat others the way we want to be treated, so that’s what we need to do.
Sometimes that means setting the right conditions for ourselves to Golden Rule it. We’ve got to keep our attitudes in check and make sure we’re not putting ourselves in situations that are going to push us into behaviors that aren’t Christ-like.
It might mean we need to treat ourselves a little better. I know I’m terrible about beating myself up in different situations. If I’m not treating myself kindly, how am I going to be able to treat others the way I want to be treated? I’ve got to love myself in order to love others well and Golden Rule it.
There are a lot of hurting people out there. We’re hurting. Life is hard for all of us. And we need to keep that in mind when we’re choosing how to interact with others.
People are watching us. They notice how we treat them and how we treat others around us. We need to try to Golden Rule it in a way that’s a good witness to others at home, at work, and anywhere else.
So let me ask you: How well are you living out the Golden Rule in your life? Are there ways that you can Golden Rule it a little better? I think we all can.
My challenge to you is to take this Golden Rule that Jesus has taught us and apply it in your life each and every day. Everywhere you go, treat everyone you meet the way you’d like to be treated. Let’s Golden Rule it.
Thanks for reading this week. Next week, we’ll be talking more about the Golden Rule, and I’ll share with you a principle about the Golden Rule that has the power to change your life forever if you’ll practice it. I hope you’ll come back to hear about it!
To your fitness!