The Golden Rule

Luke 6:31 

Treat others the same way you want them to treat you. 

Short and sweet but very powerful!  Oh, that we would ponder this verse and do it continually! 

It’s so easy to see the speck in someone else’s eye and ignore the plank that is in our own eye.  We are not going to be held accountable for how others may act or have treated you.  BUT you will be held accountable for what YOU do! 

This is very easy for me to relate to with my husband.  Neither of us like it when the other one doesn’t answer a question or doesn’t even grunt or nod to acknowledge a statement.  We find it very rude.  And, yet, we both do it! I would like it if Tim never “ignores” me again!  But, what is more important is that I don’t do it again!  This is something God wants me to strive for. 

The Bible says love is patient and kind.  Are you patient and kind?  Would you like to hear a heavy sigh when you ask someone to do something?  Then don’t do it.  Would you like to have someone roll their eyes at you as if you were stupid?  Then don’t do it. 

Let’s out-serve one another. Want to?  I love being complimented, so I need to give lots!  I love to be blessed with gifts, so let’s give to others even if it only costs $1-$5.  I love to be encouraged with words, so let’s encourage others. Think about things you can do for your mate.  How about your kids?  How about your co-workers?  

As we strive to be a blessing to others, I believe we will be blessed in return. A few verses after this one says, “Give and it will be given unto you.” Maybe the “giver” won’t be the one you give to, but the Lord will see to it that sooner or later that it returns to you. 

Let’s talk about the grocery clerk who runs the cash register.  It is not her fault that they didn’t have your sale item, or that you are in a hurry because you left yourself very little margin.  Be kind.  

I recently heard, “Christians can be the meanest people on earth.”  Yuk!  I don’t want that said about me.  How about you?  I don’t want my kids to say, “She talked the talk, but didn’t walk the walk”. Our actions speak louder than our words! 

I remember being prompted by the Lord to call a bank teller up to apologize for my actions.  Talk about humbling!  But, if it made her response to His love and grace more appealing, so be it!  We don’t get to see the “why”.  Maybe the Lord was just teaching me.  

I’d like to say that I am perfect in this, but that would be a lie! (Thank God for His grace and forgiveness!)  So, want to strive to put this in practice with me? 

Forgiveness Starts with You

Matthew 18:21-22

Then Peter came and said to Him, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?" Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven." 

Seven times is a lot.  To forgive seventy times seven is to forgive infinitely. 

We just experienced hurt and stabbing for the umpteenth time from the same people.  I said to myself, “that is the last time I will be stabbed.” But who am I kidding?  We have no choice other than to forgive.  Ugh! (We do have a choice to not get walked on and to not give certain people the ability to “stab” us again.  You may be in such a situation.  Sometimes you just have to stay away from certain people.) 

But this is not the case most of the time.  When we truly forgive we knowingly give people the opportunity to get us again.  This is when we need to remember what Jesus has done for us. 

Did He have to forgive us?  No.  He is love and chooses to pour His grace and mercy upon us.  He said that no one could take His life from Him, but He gave it willingly. 

The Bible says that “while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us”!  In other words we didn’t do anything to deserve His love.  We didn’t even experience remorse until after He died for us.  He just chose to forgive us! Sometimes people are not sorry for their wrongdoings to you.  They feel no remorse, but are justified in their own minds for acting like jerks (do Christians act like jerks?). But, we are not going to be held accountable for how others’ act.  We are, though, going to give account for our actions, thoughts, and attitudes.  I want to be squeaky clean, but I need His help to want to forgive. 

So, I pray!  I ask God to help me to want to forgive.  I pray blessings for my “enemies”.  I ask that they experience God’s love (when part of me wants them to experience God’s judgment!).  So even though I have yucky feelings, I choose to pray and speak blessings. 

Is this easy?  No.  And I’m sure that everyone will experience this opportunity over and over and over.  

OK, God! We get it! 

As you can see, I need a Savior and I need Him every day!

God is Love

I Corinthians 13:4-7 (New Living Translation)

Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. 

This is who God is!  The Bible says that God is love. This is used as to how we are to act as Christians, but it also describes how He acts toward us.  God is patient and kind.  Let me say that again…GOD IS PATIENT AND KIND!  Wow!  That alone speaks volumes to the many lies that we have heard.  Many of us have seen God as a giant ogre who is waiting to drop the gavel and pronounce judgment on us.  But that is very contrary to what the Bible says.  

This does not come easy for me.  I have to remind myself often of what the Bible says.  It is easy for me to receive guilt and condemnation… But that is NOT God! 

When we screw up…He is patient and kind.  When we ignore His presence… He is patient and kind.  When we deserve punishment…He is patient and kind!  He gave us mercy when we could be French fries. 

This translation says “love is not irritable…”.  Another translation says love is not irritable or touchy. So God doesn’t get mad easily.  It takes a lot to get him angry.  (We need more of Him and less of us in our lives!)  Sometimes I feel like I have ticked Him off and He doesn’t want to hear from me.  That is a lie!  Have you heard it too?  It’s a ploy of the enemy to separate us from the One who loves us most!  We don’t have to walk on eggshells.  I read in the Psalms David whining but he ends up praising.  God is big enough to take our whining, but praising can change the situation!  So, it’s much more productive. 

And the last part of this verse…love never gives up!  He doesn’t give up on us, our spouses, our kids, our neighbors, our government, our co-workers, our church, etc. Our prayers can avail much!  They can make a real difference because we are asking God to be involved in our loved ones lives.  

He will, you know? 

I’m expecting revival to hit Defiance, Ohio…the whole United States. Watching the movie “Woodlawn” showed how God moved in the 70’s and many were saved from all walks of life.  Two whole football teams were saved.  He did it before and He’ll do it again!  

Why?  Because He loves us!