Monday, February 17, 2014

The Golden Rule

My oldest daughter had a sleepover recently.  A large group of girls her age came over.  They ate a big supper, watched a scary movie, and eventually drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, a few of the visiting girls got up and did something really kind before Lara and I realized what was happening.  The girls cleaned up the kitchen from the night before and straightened up the living room where they had watched the scary movie.  When Lara and I found it, we were blown away.

We did not expect any of them to do that.  They were our guests.  It was our intention to straighten everything out in the house after they left.

But we were very thankful for their kind deed.  We both let the girls know how much we appreciated them.  Gratitude filled our hearts for what they had done.

It was Jesus who said, "Do to others what you would have them do to you," in Matthew 7:12.  That verse is what we now call The Golden Rule.  And that verse summarizes beautifully what the girls modeled to Lara and me.

Here's how we should treat other people:  Let's treat them how we want them to treat us.  If we want them to be kind, patient, loving, and forgiving to us, then let's make sure we are kind, patient, loving, and forgiving to them.

As always, Jesus spoke words of wisdom.  Treat other people right.  Handle them with care.  Why?  Well, one reason is because it's just the proper way to interact with others.  But another reason is that we ourselves would want to be treated the same way.

I appreciate those young ladies being so kind to Lara and me.  They blessed us in a neat way.  And they reminded me of an important truth through their actions:  The Golden Rule is a wonderful truth to live by on a daily basis.

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