My reading of the NT has taught me three ways that followers of Christ are to treat other people. 1) You are to treat people like you would like to be treated (The Golden Rule). 2) You are to treat people like Jesus would treat them (Modeling Christ). 3) You are to treat people as if they were Jesus (Matthew 25:40). In this and the next two devotionals, let’s think about each of these.
1) You are to treat people like you would like to be treated (The Golden Rule).
Do you like to be treated with contempt? Do you like to be scorned? Do you like to be called names because of your political beliefs? Do you like for people to speak to you in anger and “put down your kind”? How about being demonized? How about not having your person or opinions valued and respected? How about racial bias? These, and many others, are ways that we do not like to be treated. Be as sensitive to others as you would like for others to be toward you. Not only this, there is a positive side to “Do unto others as you would have them do to you.” Think of all the kind, courteous, compassionate, unconditional-love ways that make you thrive and invest that into the lives of others that they too might thrive.
“Do to others as you would have them do to you”. (Luke 6:31 NRSV)
From “Growing Toward Maturity”, by H. Lamar Smith.
