Matthew 7:7-12
(Use the link below to
read the verses.)
“Do unto others as you
would have them do onto you”.
Be
nice to others; be generous; do good deeds; show mercy and grace. These are
excellent guidelines for us to live by, but when it comes to the daily grind of
living, they’re not so easy. In fact, the Golden Rule is easy to quote, but
hard to live by. Take driving for instance.
I
spend about an hour and a half each week day driving to and from work. And I’ve
got to confess that it is virtually impossible for me to apply the Golden Rule
to my driving. When we moved here in 1985, if you let another driver merge in
front of you, they would wave to you to say thanks.
Today, you’re lucky if they
don’t flip you off.
I’m
pretty sure Jesus didn’t have driving in mind when he preached about the Golden
Rule.
What
about work? What if you suffer some injustice at work? Maybe you get looked
over for a promotion, or a brand new inexperienced employee gets more salary and
benefits than you. Maybe a coworker gets a higher bonus because they’re a guy
and you’re a girl. Does the Golden Rule apply then?
Indeed,
it is a hard rule to live by, but Jesus preached about it in his most famous
sermon - “The Sermon on the Mount”. Plus he said that it “sums up the Law and the
Prophets”.
In a corollary statement, he said that “all
the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments”; to love God and
love others as yourself.
How
we treat others is paramount in our relationship with God. When we try to live
by faith according to the Golden Rule; when we try to love God and love others
as ourselves, we are seeking to show mercy and grace to others by approaching
God’s throne of grace.
The
opening verses of the passage today encourage us to not give up. “Keep on asking… keep on seeking… keep on
knocking”. When you do, God will answer; you will find Him; and the door of
opportunity will be opened.
(If
God has spoken to you through this blog, please feel free to share it with
others.)
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