DAY 12 - Live by the Golden Rule

     No one, including pastors and ministers, is exempt from the Golden Rule found in Matthew chapter 7:

MATTHEW 7:12 - Therefore, whatsoever you want men to do to you,

do also to them: for this is the law and the prophets.

How can we ever fulfill the Law and the Prophets under the New Covenant? Jesus tells us in this scripture: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. We should invest into the lives of others whatever we want out of life for ourselves. If we want people to do good to us, we should do good to others. If we want people to forgive us for our offenses, we should forgive others for theirs. If we want people to help us, we should sow seeds of helping others. If we want people to give to us, we should give to others as the Lord leads.

I remember a day when I and a friend of mine had to deliberately choose to live by the Golden Rule. I had just picked up a Portuguese pastor and some friends at the Los Angeles International Airport. While we were in the process of obtaining their luggage, one of the ladies in the party accidentally bumped into a stranger. The person who was bumped promptly began to throw a ridiculous tantrum over this minor incident. I looked at my friend and said, “This is a great time for us to sow mercy and kindness.” And that’s exactly what we did! Because we planted mercy instead of judgment, we left the

airport excited over our seed. We knew that meant we would reap a harvest of mercy and kindness in our own lives from others.

On the other hand, I have seen people in McDonald’s acting like two-year-olds, screaming and yelling over a cold french fry! During those times, I felt so sorry for the poor little cashiers who had to bear the brunt of this immaturity. I was embarrassed to admit that I was associated with this type of person. Too often children of God just don’t realize how much bad seed they are sowing out in the world when they treat others rudely.

If we want people to give us favor, we should plant favor. If we want people to treat us politely, we should be polite to others. If we want to be treated kindly, we should treat others kindly. In whatever way we want people to treat us, that is how we should treat them because there is always a like harvest to be reaped after planting seed.

Man didn’t create this avenue of increase; our Heavenly Father did — and He did it for the benefit of His children. God believes what the Word says about sowing and reaping in the following scriptures:

ECCLESIASTES 11:1 - Cast your bread upon the waters: for you will find it

after many days.

     A major portion of our increase comes through the law of seedtime and harvest. First, we must scatter, plant, or sow seed in order to reap a harvest. If we sow nothing, we will not reap large acreage of produce. Next, we reap what we sow. Whether we sow mercy and forgiveness or judgment and condemnation, we will receive a harvest of the same. Therefore, whatever we want out of life, that is what we should invest into the lives of others.

Finally, according to Jesus, walking down the avenue of sowing and reaping actually fulfills the Law and the Prophets. Therefore, we should always remember not to “…be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not” (Gal. 6:9).