How we treat others is not only important to our relationships with people but is also invaluable to our relationship with God.
"Do unto others as you would have others do unto you" is what is commonly known as the Golden Rule. It comes from the scripture in Matthew 7:12 that reads, "Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets." Many children are taught this because it is such a simple, yet profound principle on how to treat others and for having good relationships with them. We should do to others what we want done to us.
How we treat others is not only important in our relationships with people, it is also important in our relationship with God. It is so important that God actually uses some of the ways we treat others as a gauge to how He treats us.
Luke 6:37-38 reads, "Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you."
We all want God to not condemn and judge us harshly for our mistakes. We want Him to extend mercy and forgive us when we err. God wants us to do the same with others. We must extend mercy and forgiveness to others in order to be forgiven by Him. Matthew 5:7 tells us, "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy." Matthew 6:15 says that if we don't forgive others, neither will God forgive us.
We also want God to take care of our physical needs. We look to Him as our provider. God also expects us to help others when they are in need. We see in Proverbs 21:13, "Whoever shuts his ears to the cry of the poor will also cry himself and not be heard." God expects us to help others when it is in our means and power to do so, and when we are in need, God will hear our cry.
So, remember to "do unto others as you would have others do unto you," but also remember to "do unto others as you would have God do unto you."
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