The Golden Rule
1 02 2008This week has had me thinking of kindness and the “Golden Rule,” to treat others as you would like to be treated. This thought really is the foundation that kindness is built upon. Kindness is putting the Golden Rule into practice in our daily lives through our thoughts, our words and our actions.
It is a way of life that we all agree we should aspire to live… but if we’re really honest, it can sometimes be tough and easy to forget as we go about our busy lives. I doubt many of us overlook it intentionally but it happens. We get busy, we are in a hurry and if we are not careful we can completely overlook an opportunity to put our kindness and our faith into action. There’s actually a great story, told by Jesus, that comes to mind that really examples what I’ve been thinking. You can read it here.
You see, in the story a man is robbed on a roadside, beaten up and left half-dead.Two men, who knew the Golden Rule and who supposedly professed to live by it, came upon the beaten man but avoided him. They even kinda looked around to make sure no one else was watching and conveniently bypassed the hurt man altogether.
Has that ever happened to you? You saw something you knew you should help with but because you were in a hurry, or didn’t want to get involved… you overlooked or bypassed it altogether, almost pretending you didn’t see a thing?
So these guys are coming down the road and the see the man who is beaten and robbed and they avoid him, leaving him laying there to suffer and quite possibly die.
A third man, who for example sake, was the last person in the world you’d expect to help someone in need… well, he came upon the beaten man and felt compassion in his heart for him. He stopped and took care of him. He cleaned his wounds, bandaged him and even took him to a nearby motel where he went the extra mile and purchased a room for the hurt man to rest and recover in.
The first two men knew better. They knew they should have stopped and helped but they didn’t. I’m not sure why but perhaps they were in a hurry to get to their next meeting. Maybe they felt incapable of being able to help. Rather than at least try…. they opted to just leave him, thinking surely the next person to pass by would help.
But what if no one else passed by? Worse yet…. what if someone did come along but acted just like these first two men and kept on going?
The third man, he was different. He practiced the Golden Rule by treating the beaten man with kindness. He saw this hurt man’s needs and put them ahead of his own. He stopped. He helped. He probably got his shirt dirty. He went that extra mile to think of himself in this mans position and decided in an instant to come to his aid.
As Jesus was telling this story he asked those listening which of the three men acted correctly, someone said, “The one who had mercy on him” - referring to the one who had practiced kindness to the hurt man… Jesus then replied, “Now go and do the same.”
The moral of the story is this… if you say your’re going to live by the Golden Rule then your actions must match the words you profess. Don’t look the other way thinking someone else is going to come along behind you, instead YOU be that someone else.
Man, this article really spoke to me. Thanks! I needed this reminder today.
thanks LLJ, Golden Rule reminds me, and I will share this to my friends and to my brothers and sisters in our church here in Korea, thanks and God bless.
Great post! What I like the most about the story of the Good Samaritan is that the hero of the story had the wrong religion. The other two were of the correct religion, denomination, etc., but this guy was a Samaritan, a heretic… a cult member if you like. Jesus challenged our preconceived ideas about religion and pointed to what matters most in the eyes of God… love. And that love is expressed through the Golden rule.
Great story. Sometimes one tend to grade him/herself be better than others, when they are in problems. This story, an illustration that Jesus used to expose our inner self reminds me of the real Christian behaviour/character. Because to really win our fellow to Christ’s kingdom, we must be selfless, showing true love without exception.
sometimes I do put my schedule before my action. I better have a re-think then. thanks a lot for this article.
i want to know word of god
Thank you for this site.
Isn’t it just the best thing to give to someone else. To move from a position of needing to a position of giving. Their is no better feeling than that of helping someone else. We can all help others in someway even if we don’t have a lot. A word of hope or encouragement would have meant a lot to the man who was robbed when he was lying on the road until someone else who could help more came along. Never forget that you can make a difference and the more you do it the more God will bless you with means to do and give more!!
this is really GOLDEN RULE that we have to live,it touch ma heart to point of wiping due to the violation of
golden rule in our churches,lives and every aspect of human kind lives,
may GOD bless this ministry you conduct to his people,keep on cos this is complete translation of how good life surpose to be
Thanks a million,you’re indeed a blessings not just a recipient of God’s blessings.
I pray for God’s leadings upon your ministry,for is the leadings of the creator
that makes the journey great!
I appreciate your article,it’s impartful.
God bless you!!!!!!!!!!!
thanks
NB: WHAT YOU MAKE HAPPEN FOR OTHERS,GOD WILL MAKE HAPPEN FOR YOU!
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