The Golden Rule

"So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets."  Matthew 7:12

I'm sure most of you know this verse or at least the idea behind this verse.  It's been called The Golden Rule.  From households to classrooms this is often left as the only firm rule, because it's recognized as a simple yet all encompassing rule.

Many of you, if you're like me, know this verse in the King James Version.  I still hear "Do unto others what you would have them do unto you."  But what does it mean to "do unto others"?

For most of my life this is what "do unto others" meant for me:

"I wouldn't want someone to take my pencil from my desk without asking me, so I won't do that to her".

"I wouldn't want someone to talk while I'm teaching a class, so I won't talk during Mrs. Wright's class".

This is what it meant to "do unto others" for me.

My friend Harold was talking the other day and he shared something that was shared with him.  He said, "It's 'do unto others', not 'don't do unto others."

It's "do unto others" not "don't do unto others."

This is a simple, yet profound statement.  My life and yours can be changed by this simple statement.  To "do unto others" means that I not only try not to be a jerk, but it means that I do things for people that I would want them to do to me.  This means that I actively pursue serving people.  I actively pursue feeding the hungry.  I actively pursue giving money to those in a trouble.  I actively pursue encouraging people.

To "do unto others" is a much higher calling than to "not do unto others".  This doesn't mean that my understanding of The Golden Rule was wrong before; rather, my understanding of The Golden Rule was incomplete.  In fact, I was missing most of The Golden Rule.

"So in EVERYTHING, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets."  Matthew 7:12

Be transformed by these words of Jesus.  Rise to the call.  Apply The Golden Rule in your life.

Do unto others today.