Who has ever heard of the golden rule?
What is it?
Where did it come from?
Matthew 7:9-12 NIV
[9] “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? [10] Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? [11] If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! [12] So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.
Recently, my littlest daughter did something to annoy her sister, then told me it’s because her sister did it to her, so that means that’s how she wants to be treated, right? No! Think of it like gift giving. Do you give your friends what you want, or what they want? Would you want to receive a gift that you didn’t really want because that’s what your grandparent wanted? We gift people with things we think they would like, and hopefully they would consider our likes when giving us a gift. Don’t think about your personal preferences when dealing with others- think about theirs. Are they more sensitive? More direct? Easily offended? Need things explained in more detail?
Remember that we all think and feel differently. We need to care about the impact our words and actions have on others. We may not always understand WHY they impact somebody the way they do, but we can care enough to change our delivery when we hurt them, or confuse them. We hope to be treated and considered that way, so we should do that for others. We can’t be so stuck in our own heads that we don’t approach people in a way they receive well, rather than the way we like.
The golden rule is not about you. Its about loving others.
-Karyn