Do Unto Others by Pastor Stephen Burnett

Occasionally those words ring in my ears as a reminder of what I should always do. I remember hearing it frequently from a former Sunday School teacher at my childhood home church, or my mother, who passed away several years ago. The verse in the Bible, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” is shared from time to time and considered as The Golden Rule. This verse can be found in both Matthew 7:12 and Luke 6:31.

As a young lad, I was not a good kid. You can ask my three sisters! Before I came into this world, one of my sisters flipped a penny into a water well, wishing for a brother. After several years of my behavior making my sisters’ lives miserable, my sister returned back to the water well, flipping another penny and wishing for my disappearance! Then, after my salvation experience, my mother would repeat the words into my ears, “Do unto Others.” We all must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and obey His commands.

At the age of 12, Jesus wanted to learn more about the Law. Even though Jesus was the Word made flesh, He was a student of the Law himself. The Son of God sought out teachers, listened, asked questions, and gave answers about the things of God. He also practiced The Golden Rule during His ministry on earth. Jesus said in Matthew 5:17, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfil them". Therefore, Jesus fulfilled the law and demonstrated this love by laying down His life for us. We, too, ought to seek understanding of this. If The Golden Rule tells us to walk in this kind of love, shouldn't we do this as followers of Christ? Is that your heart’s desire?

Today, we live in a very different world. Hatred, envy, self-centeredness, self-pride and selfish desires seem to be the growing theme everyday as we walk among people in our community, workplace and even in our families. No one really wants to “do unto others.” They are not satisfied until they achieve the desires of what they want; not thinking about others at all.

Sad to say, this theme has filtered through many churches in America as well. Many churchgoers have forgotten The Golden Rule. That’s why we often see disgruntled, unsatisfied, and selfish people who are not practicing The Golden Rule as Jesus taught us. We need to surrender our desires to the Lord and stay in focus on what God would have us do. May we have an attitude of grace as we "do unto others".

What are some ways we can do this?

· Serve – Serve others. Be there for others. Bless others by your actions and care for them.

· Appreciate – Show appreciation to others. Applause good efforts. Say thank you regularly.

· Love – Love one another sacrificially.

· Treasure – Value others. Show them kindness, dignity, and respect regardless of what has happened in the past or issues of personal differences.

Take time to examine yourself before the Lord on these matters. He will bless your heart and efforts when you "do unto others".