the golden rule …

We have this print hanging in our main hallway.  We don’t look at it enough.  People don’t remember it enough.

Wikipedia defines these words as The Golden Rule.  But do you know …

{source}

“Do to others as you would have them do to you.”
Luke 6:31 {NIV}


Jesus spoke those words while on earth?

I don’t know ’bout you, but I think it’s cooler-than-cool that something Jesus said. on earth. in scripture. is classified on Wikipedia as “The Golden Rule.”  #justsayin

As we’re moving into the Christmas {and giving} season, this week I’ll be celebrating here on the blog … with gifts, blessings, giveaways and love.  Today let’s walk a journey of love.  God’s love.

Since September, I’ve been studying 1 John with my Good Morning Girls group.  So much truth.  Well … I mean, all of God’s Word is truth … but as we’re dissecting it verse by verse, it all comes alive!

If you have a few minutes and can dive into just a few verses, I urge you to read 1 John 4:7-21.  For the purpose of this post, let’s look at:

Those who say, “I love God,” and hate their brothers or sisters,
are liars; for those who do not love a brother or sister whom they have seen,
cannot love God whom they have not seen.
The commandment we have from him is this: those who love
God must love their brothers and sisters also.
1 John 4:20-21 {NRSV}


Those some strong words right there!  Take a moment to digest them.  Pretty much, “how in the world can you claim to love God … know God … if you have hatred for someone else.”

Oswald Chambers says, “If what we call love doesn’t take us beyond ourselves, it is not really love.”

Love, forgiveness, grace … for me, it all goes hand-in-hand.  But what I’d like to share with you is my personal experience of having God’s love, overflow … to love someone else.  Someone I didn’t think … someone many still don’t think … deserves any kind of love.  Let alone a love filled with grace and forgiveness.

There I was.  Filled with anger and hate.  Anger.  And hate.  Ready for a divorce.  And the very next hour … literally … after prayer with my pastor and receiving an indwelling, overflow of God’s love … I was able to love.  Not only did I not want a divorce … but I was able to forgive and to love.

I need to make it abundantly clear … it wasn’t … and dare I say, most times still isn’t … my love.  I’m human.  I hurt, I feel, I anger … and I even hate.

But Jesus.  Jesus changed all that.

Jesus laid down His life for us.  He hung on a cross so that I might be loved … and forgiven.  I take freely of this gift … every. single. day.

The Bible also tells us it’s better to give than to receive {Act 20:35}.  Not easier.  When it come to love and forgiveness … definitely not easier.  But if I can so freely receive His gift of forgiveness and love, then isn’t it my responsibility … haven’t I been commanded … to give it?

In January of 1951, C.S. Lewis {in reference to Luke 6:27-31} wrote in a letter … “In praying for people one dislikes I find it helpful to remember what one is joining in His prayer for them.”

God is love.  He always was.  Always is.  And always will be.

I love God.  I want to honor Him.  I want to make Him proud of me.

In Matthew 7:13, we’re told to “enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road is easy that leads to destruction, and there are many who take it.”

Oswald Chambers asks this, “Have you ever created what Mary of Bethany created in the heart of the Lord Jesus?  “She has done a good work for me.”  In The Message it reads this way, “She has just done something wonderfully significant for me.” {Mark 14:6}

I want to live my life … Jesus wants us to live our lives … following, always following The Golden Rule.

We need to get off our high horses … believers and non-believers alike … humble ourselves, see outside of ourselves, and start treating other people the way we want to be treated.  The way we’ve been commanded to treat each other.

#thereisaidit

8 Comments

  1. CheezyK November 28, 2011 at 12:32 am

    #andyousaiditwell

    Reply
  2. keely aka LKP November 28, 2011 at 7:26 am

    crapppity crap crap.

    this was the exact same set of verses central to our Sunday school lesson today. normally, its one of my fave sections of scripture. today it was not, as i sat there trying everything i could to keep myself in my seat and not run for home.

    it’s a long thought, so i’ll email it to you. that way it doesn’t suck up all your room here & doesn’t put it all out there into cyberspace for others to read.

    love ya! keep doing what you’re doing. you’ve got it right! ::hugs::

    Reply
  3. Susan Lesperance November 28, 2011 at 8:07 am

    Dear Tracie, I have long lived by the Golden Rule. When people ask me about my outlook on life, I always say, “Treat others as you would want to be treated”. Key words that come to mind are respect, forgiveness, compassion and love. If we all followed Jesus’ Golden Rule, the world would be a much nicer place to live in. Thanks for your thought provoking post…you and your blog are treasures.

    Reply
  4. Terry November 28, 2011 at 8:15 am

    Amen….no truer words have been said. I try to live by those words and even when others claim that they do….unfortunately their actions prove otherwise. I so miss our bible studies and all the conversations with had with everyone being so open and honest. You are a shining example of living by what you believe….don’t ever change.

    Reply
  5. Trisha Alexander November 28, 2011 at 9:47 am

    I agree!! I struggle with this the most in my life. My dad hasn’t spoken to me our my children in 3 years! My OWN dad! I pray every day for God to give me strength to try and reach out to him mostly for my children’s sake and he is very ill! I will always love him and still speak very highly about him to my children, but the truth is I really don’t like him very much. After all how can u not want to be in your daughters life? I have 2 girls and I can’t understand it. I’m trying to understand but Mabey I’m not supposed to. This could be one of God’s great lessons for me. I still pray everyday that the answer will come to me. I admire your grace! The world needs more of you:)

    Reply
  6. Su November 28, 2011 at 10:17 am

    We just covered Matthew 7:13 in our confirmation class (where we are periously trying to teach sophomore’s God’s message). Sometimes I wonder just how narrow is this gate?

    Reply
  7. Jane November 28, 2011 at 10:21 am

    Praying for your family — all of them — today. For what it is worth, a lot of us who know the charges can understand forgiveness and love in a Christian context — and also strive toward that attitidue in this and other circumstances — but still expect there to be civil consequences. The two are not exclusive of one another. And perhaps —probably — you understand that. I simply offer it as context as you consider others’ words and thoughts, which seem to be troubling to you.

    Reply
  8. dawn November 28, 2011 at 11:56 am

    God is already proud of you… no matter what. but oh-how-i-love that forgiveness was given and that you do not have the lack of it lurking in your soul. i don’t remember where i first heard it, or even who said it, but i remind myself over and over again… forgiveness doesn’t make IT ok, it makes ME ok. it was a giant light bulb.

    you are beautiful. inside & out. all because of God. all because of Love. and when you write about all of this, you remind me about answered prayers. radical prayers. and i thank you for sharing it with me, for asking me to pray that. a gift. perhaps not in the most beautiful wrappings, but it is not the outside that matters anyway.

    xoxo

    Reply

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