“Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets.”
Matthew 7:12 NLT
Jesus summarized the entire Old Testament in just one sentence, and even though it’s His shortest teaching, it’s the one our world needs most!
Every person desires to be treated like a human being, with care and respect. In a world of 7.9 billion people, that’s a LOT of care—and it begins with me! How do I treat people in my neighborhood, at my school, where I shop? Do I show them human being respect? Do I care about their lives? Or am I too wrapped up in my own business?
Treating others like I want to be treated is an unselfish task. It means considering what kind of hell that “irritating” person may be going through. It means trying to put myself in their place, wear their shoes for a while. Considering others’ plight means spending less time thinking about mine! But how else will I know how to truly care for others?
When groups of people are thrown together at a retreat or in a discussion circle, someone usually lays out the ground rules. When God placed humans together in this huge circle called earth, He too laid out a ground rule, and His Son put it into words everyone could understand:
“Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you!”
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