Do Unto Others

Matthew 7:12 "So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets." or Luke 6:31 "Do to others as you would have them do to you."

Have you ever really thought about these verses? Yes, I am sure we all have heard it more than our share of times, but have you really ever thought about it?

This verse is not about how others treat you, it is how I treat other people. If I want other people to treat me kindly, I need to do it first. I need to be the one that treats others with respect, because that is the way I want to be treated. If I complain about how others are treating me, I need to be willing to look at how I am treating them first. In our society, it is easy to blame others for how I am being treated, but when we look at God's word, I am reminded that I need to be willing to look at my own flaws and ask God to help me change me. If I am not willing to put effort into changing, do I really want to change? I need to be willing to ask myself questions in how I treat people.

• Do I want to be treated that way? 
• If no, then I have no right to treat anyone that way.
• Do I want to be spoken to the way I am speaking to this person?
• If no, then I need to be willing to change how I am speaking.
• Do I want someone to treat me as a enemy?
• If no, then I need to stop treating others that way.
• Do I want someone not to let me into traffic?
• If no, then I need to let others in front of me.
• Do I want someone to have road rage towards me?
• If no, then I need not to have road rage at them. 

This applies to every area of my life and yours too. Can you imagine if I am unloving towards my spouse, what am I telling my spouse, that is the way I want to be treated. If I am cold and uncaring, that is saying that it is OK to treat me that way. See I have a responsibility to take, I need to be willing to look at myself and ask the cold hard question... What am I doing that is unhealthy and do I need to change it because that is not how I want to be treated, so I have no right treating my spouse like that. 

This reminds me of a scripture in Matthew 7:5 "You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye." God is calling us to look at our own sins, before we are to help our brother/sisters.

Tough word, that I need to make sure I am being to others how I want them to be to me. It is easy to blame it on them, but the matter comes down to me. I can't say because they treated me that way, it is OK for me to do. Isn't it time, that we put what God wants into action? Time for change and where does change start? It starts by acknowledging our sin, confessing it to God, asking forgiveness from God and if it applies to other doing that too. Isn't it time for us to treat others how we want to be treated. I didn't say it Jesus did.