The “Golden Rule” is golden for a reason …

Many people are familiar with a particular Bible text that’s commonly referred to as the “Golden Rule.” You can find it in Matthew 7:12:

“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.”

This biblical precept is “golden” because it’s rooted in real wisdom. The truth is, we tend to love ourselves more than others; if we treat others the way we want to be treated, we would then treat them with love. We also have an in-born need to be loved, and the most direct way to be lovable is to treat others with love.

It all cycles back to “do to others whatever you would like them to do to you.”

Here’s an example of what happens when, instead, we choose other attitudes like pride, stubbornness, obstinance, etc.

A man and his wife were having some problems at home and were giving each other the silent treatment.

The next week, the man realized he would need his wife to wake him at 5:00 a.m. for an early morning business flight to Chicago. Not wanting to be the first to break the silence (AND LOSE), he wrote on a piece of paper, “Please wake me at 5:00 a.m.”

The next morning the man woke up, only to discover it was 9:00 a.m. and that he had missed his flight. Furious, he was about to go and see why his wife didn’t get him up when he noticed a piece of paper by the bed. Written on the paper was, “It is 5:00 a.m. Wake up.”

Yes, we can be selfish enough to want to “get” better than we “give.” It generally doesn’t work that way. If you want “golden” relationships, learn to do to others whatever you would like them to do to you.

Scotty