Do unto others
The Golden Rule. Despite the amount of conditioning we receive as children to do unto others as we would want done to us, we have a natural drive to do unto others as is done to us. That instinctual lust for vengeance. We want an eye for an eye even when, in the long run, the process would be more costly than just letting go. The paranoid little voice in the back of your head may tell you that it’s a gamble, but maybe by being nice to someone, they’ll be nice to you. At the end of the day it shouldn’t matter what other people do because it’s insignificant in the long run. Come judgment day, you’ll be held accountable for your decisions, and when you rattle off the expectations you had in return for your generosity and kindness, you’ll have a grocery list from here to the ends of heaven.
Other people will frustrate you, hurt you, and do everything in their expansive power to drive you completely insane. What matters here is:
1. How you respond
and
2. How you treat others.
Kindness in a hope of a reward isn’t generosity of spirit, it’s manipulation, in a way that insincerity is almost as cruel as the spitefulness you’ve received countless times from others. A courteous and compassionate spirit is more likely to evoke the same from others when the example you set is one that is pure and earnest. Your average Jane and Joe have a habit of seeing through your charade.
The Bible offers many nuggets of wisdom for anyone willing to open up and receive them. When Paul says that true religion is caring for widows and orphans, you have to understand that here is the simplest possible way you can serve a purpose outside of yourself. By caring for those in need, by offering of yourself out of the goodness of your heart, you do more for them and yourself than they could ever do for you. It doesn’t take a kindness on their part to reward you for your actions. Whatever you do for the least of God’s children, you do for Him. The honor of that alone is staggering. Whoever said that God is in the rain had the right idea. Life is full of challenges, and many of these challenges we cannot overcome alone. It takes others to support us and give us fresh perspectives. So when you do unto others, you have no idea the true weight and magnitude your assistance is really giving them. Don’t begrudge a kind word or a moment of your time; those few seconds could make all of the difference in the world.
