Why Jesus Urged Everyone to Live By the Golden Rule
Illustration:Most people wish to serve God -- but in an advisory capacity only.
Quoted in Sunday Express, London.
1. Jesus knew that the golden rule benefits everyone, especially the first one to apply it. The Lord Jesus said, "Do to others as you would have them do to you." (Luke 6:31) We are always guaranteed a blessing when we choose to give goodness instead of refusing to love until we have been loved first.
Ask the Lord to help you apply the golden rule to every relationship in your life and ministry.
2. Jesus knew that the golden rule is especially applicable when we are criticized by those who oppose us. The Lord Jesus said, "Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you." (Luke 6:27,28) The best way to win over those who oppose us is through the power of love.
Ask the Lord for a special measure of grace to help you love those who abuse you.
Illustration: In his book 70 X 7, The Freedom of Forgiveness, David Ugsberger tells of General William Booth, the founder of the salvation Army, who had lost his eyesight. His son Bramwell was given the difficult task of telling his father there would be no recovery. "Do you mean that I am blind?" the General asked. "I hear we must contemplate that," his son replied. The father continued,"I shall never see your face again?" "No, probably not in this world." "Bramwell," said General Booth, "I have done what I could for God and for His people with my eyes. Now I shall do what I can for God without my eyes."
David Ugsberger, 70 X 7, The Freedom of Forgiveness.
3. Jesus knew that the golden rule is especially needed in our giving. The Lord Jesus said, "Give to everyone who asks you." (Luke 6:30) It is often most difficult to give to people who probably will not be able to repay us. The great Shepherd knew that God’s love is best evidenced by loving people who give expecting nothing in return because they know their reward is in heaven.
Ask the Lord to help you give, realizing that freely we have received therefore, we should freely give.
4. Jesus knew that the golden rule is necessary to prevent vengeful feelings and actions. The Lord Jesus knew that Paul would write, "Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written, "It is mine to avenge; I will repay, says the Lord." (Rom. 12:19) Ask the Lord to put you in the frame of mind to give good things, even to those who oppose you. Otherwise, you may be tempted to silently revenge.
5. Jesus knew that the golden rule applies especially between husbands and wives and families. The Lord Jesus said, "Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful." When you feel wounded, hurt or wrongly criticized by your mate, remember how merciful and forgiving the Lord is to you.
Illustration:Whatever is done for God, without respect of its comparative character as related to other acts, is service, and only that is service. Service is, comprehensively speaking, doing the will of God. He is the object. All is for Him, for His sake, as unto the Lord, not as unto man. Hence, even the humblest act of humblest disciple acquires a certain divine quality by its being done with reference to Him.
The supreme test of service is this: ’For whom am I doing this?’ Much that we call service to Christ is not such at all....If we are doing this for Christ, we shall not care for human reward or even recognition. Our work must again be tested by three propositions: Is it work from God, as given us to do from Him; for God, as finding in Him its secret of power; and with God, as only a part of His work in which we engage as co-workers with Him."
A.T. Pierson wrote, The Truth.
Application: Ask the Lord for an increased capacity to show mercy as you would like to have mercy shown to you - realizing your sins of omission, disposition and commission.
6. Jesus knew that the golden rule applies to the way we should treat non-christians. The Lord Jesus knew that Paul would write, "When we are slandered, we answer kindly. Up to this moment we have become the scum of the earth, the refuse of the world." (I Cor. 4:13) Ask the Lord to help you overcome evil with good as it has much greater power and eternal rewards.
In the spring of 1883 two young men graduated from medical school. The two differed from one another in both appearance and ambition. Ben was short and stocky. Will was tall and thin. Ben dreamed of practicing medicine on the East Coast. will wanted to work in a rural community. Ben begged his friend to go to New York where they could both make a fortune. Will refused. His friend called him foolish for wanting to practice medicine in the Midwest. "But," will said, "I want first of all to be a great surgeon...the very best, if I have the ability." Years later the wealthy and powerful came from around the world to be treated by Will at his clinic...the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.
Today in the Word, July, 1990, p. 17.
Illustration:
7. Jesus knew that the golden rule helps us initiate prayer for others. Jesus said, "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you." (Matt. 5:44) Prayer has a way of cleaning our mind, will and emotions from anger, envy and resentment. Ask the Lord to help you pray regularly for those who annoy you.
8. Jesus knew that the golden rule guides helps us avoid self destructive anger. Jesus knew that John would write, "If anyone says, ’I love God,’ yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen." (I John 4:20)
Ask the Lord to help you escape from the self-destructive pattern of hatred, anger and bitterness.
9. Jesus knew that the golden rule helps us withhold judgment on our enemies or our bosses. The Lord Jesus knew what Job had written, "If I have rejoiced at my enemy’s misfortune or gloated over the trouble that came to him - I have not allowed my mouth to sin by invoking a curse against his life..." (Job 31:29)
Application: Only the Lord is in full possession of the facts; has the ability to judge impartially; and holds the right as our creator to judge correctly. Ask the Lord to help you avoid the sins of judging when only the Lord has the perfect right.
10. Jesus knew that the golden rule was demonstrated by David with Saul. David said to Saul, "This day you have seen with your own eyes how the Lord delivered you into my hands in the cave. Some urged me to kill you, but I spared you: I said, ’I will not lift my hand against my master, because he is the Lord’s annointed. May the Lord judge between you and me." (I Sam. 24:10,12)
Application: Ask the Lord to help you remember to exercise the golden rule with even the worst of your enemies, critics, or accusers.
11. Jesus knew that the golden rule was performed by Joseph with his brothers. Joseph said, "Do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you." (Gen 45:5)
Application: Ask the Lord to give you the wisdom to see the hand of God in whatever happens to you. Remember God is able to cause ALL things to work together for good to love who love Him and are called according to His plans. (Rom. 8:28,29)
12. Jesus knew that living by the golden rule would be one of last great examples. ON the CROSS, Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing."
Ask the Lord to give you the perseverance, grace and strength to live by the golden rule until your dying breath as Jesus did.
Concluding Illustration:
Self-righteous service comes through human effort. True service comes from a relationship with the divine Other deep inside.
Self-righteous service is impressed with the "big deal." True service finds it almost impossible to distinguish the small from the large service.
Self-righteous service requires external rewards. True service rests contented in hiddenness.
Self-righteous service is highly concerned about results. True service is free of the need to calculate results.
Self-righteous service picks and chooses whom to serve. True service is indiscriminate in its ministry.
Self-righteous service is affected by moods and whims. True service ministers simply and faithfully because there is a need.
Self-righteous service is temporary. True service is a life-style.
Self-righteous service is without sensitivity. It insists on meeting the need even when to do so would be destructive. True service can withhold the service as freely as perform it.
Self-righteous service fractures community. True service, on the other hand, builds community.
Richard Foster, Celebration of Discipline, "The Discipline of Service."
