The Golden Rule for Everyday Life

Jesus said and did a lot of things; so many that the Apostle John said that if all of them were recorded in books, there would not be enough room in the world to contain them. (John 21:25) In reading the Gospels, we often latch onto our favorites. For me, these include Matthew 6:33 ; John 3:16; John 10:10; John 14:6; and John 21:12.  I’m sure you can name your own favorites as well.

But there is one that I think we should all put at the top of our list: So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets. (Matthew 7:12) My reason? For one, Jesus says this verse sums up the teaching of the Old Testament, which includes the Ten Commandments. In and of itself, that is an extraordinary statement. Imagine the reaction of those Jews who were listening that their Law could be summed up in one statement! For another, if what Jesus commands is put into practice, it will radically transform people and societies. And isn’t that the intent of our Lord—for us to be transformed?

Imagine if you applied this to parenting. You would treat your children not necessarily the same way you were treated as a child, but rather how you would want to be treated as a child. Imagine you are an employer or supervisor with people under your authority. You would treat your employees/subordinates in the same way you would want to be treated if you were in their position. Imagine you are passionate about the political issues of the day and there are those who have different views. You would treat them as you would want to be treated if you were them.

There are so many more applications for everyday life that can be made from this one command of Jesus, but from just the ones I mentioned, we can see how our lives and relationships could be transformed! Parents wouldn’t abuse, neglect, or be irresponsible in their parenting. Employers and supervisors would treat their employees with respect and dignity. They would also avoid taking advantage of them. And the political environment of our nation would totally change. Instead of yelling, mocking, and disparaging those with whom we disagree, we would treat people civilly and with respect, even while disagreeing with them. This is how I would want to be treated. I presume this is also true for you.

This command of Jesus is referred to as “the golden rule” because it is so valuable to our well-being and that of others. When we are obedient to it, we are agreeing with the Lord that each and every one of us is a creation of God. That makes everyone valuable and, thus, they should be treated accordingly.

© Jim Musser 2024 All Scripture references are from the New International Version, 2011.