the golden rule

Blessings to you, the readers of this page, in Jesus Christ our Lord. May He guide you and protect you always.

The Golden Rule, And How To Apply It

Rev. April 29, 1999

"DO UNTO OTHERS AS YOU WOULD HAVE THEM DO UNTO YOU."

The Golden Rule was given to us by Jesus to provide us with a reliable guideline for all of our interaction with other people. It is suitable for use by all people in all situations.

Expressions Of The Golden Rule

The Golden Rule is expressed twice in the Bible, and these are its most authoritative forms, in the words of Jesus, translated.

       "Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men
        should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this
        is the law and the prophets." (Matthew 7:12 KJV)
       "And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye
        also to them likewise." (Luke 6:31 KJV)

And here are some of the best expressions of The Golden Rule in modern English.

   1. "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."
   2. "Treat others as you want to be treated."
   3. "Treat other people the way you would like to be treated."
   4. "Treat other people the way you want to be treated."
   5. "Whatever you want people to do to you, do that to them."

Ways To Apply The Golden Rule In Real Life

"The Twenty-One Greatest Ideas In Human Relations" contains eighteen specific ways to apply The Golden Rule in real life.

The Twenty-One Greatest Ideas In Human Relations Compiled And Edited By Bill McGinnis Public Domain 1. Be as interested in the other person's happiness and well-being as you are in your own. ("Love thy neighbor as thyself.") This is the starting point, the Scriptural Imperative, our command from the Lord. But sometimes, no matter how hard we try, we still don't like the other person, or we still feel anger or resentment. What can we do in cases like this ? Forgive! 2. Forgive the other person. The most troublesome harmful emotion is the emotion of anger. You can neutralize anger by making a direct conscious decision to forgive the other person for whatever he may have done to cause you to feel anger toward him. ("As you forgive, so you will be forgiven.") 3. Treat the other person the way you would like to be treated. ("Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.") This is the most useful idea in human relations. You can apply this idea to almost any situation, and you will not be far wrong. This is the "Golden Rule," our most reliable guideline for behavior with other people. The remaining eighteen ideas are specific applications of The Golden Rule to different kinds of situations. 4. Smile and be friendly. You like it when people smile at you and behave in a friendly way. So do the same to them. 5. Be courteous. You like it when people are courteous to you. And you dislike it when people are discourteous or rude to you. So be courteous in all of your dealings with others. 6. Be truthful, without giving offense. 7. Remember the other person's name, and use it frequently. You like it when other people remember and use your name. So do the same to them. 8. Don't argue. Arguments are very negative. They poison good human relations. You don't like it when someone argues with you. So don't argue with them. And if you see an argument coming, take the appropriate steps to neutralize the argument before it causes too much damage. 9. Find areas of agreement. Relationships are much better when both people focus on their areas of agreement rather than their areas of disagreement. Most people agree on more things than they disagree on. So if you focus on your areas of agreement with the other person, your areas of disagreement will seem smaller and less important. 10. Don't criticize. Criticism builds hostility and bad attitudes. Criticism is poison to good human relations. You don't like to be criticized; so don't criticize other people. They don't like it, either. And you won't help accomplish anything good by criticizing. "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all." 11. Show honest appreciation. You like it when other people take the time and interest to recognize and appreciate the good things you do. So do the same for them. Everyone does some things worthy of appreciation. Find them, and recognize them in the other person. 12. Try the other person's point of view. You like it when the other person understands your point of view and can see problems the way you see them. So do the same for him. Try looking at the situation from the other person's point of view. 13. Give full attention to the other person when he is talking. You like it when people pay attention to you when you are talking. So do the same for them. 14. Talk in terms of the other person's interests. You like to have other people talk with you about your interests. So do the same for them. Find out what things they are interested in, and steer the conversation toward these things. 15. Admit you may be wrong. This idea is surprisingly powerful and useful! Here's what to say, whenever there is a disagreement as to a matter of fact: "Now, I may be wrong about this. I frequently am wrong about things. But this is the way it appears to me:" (And then state your beliefs.) By admitting you may be wrong, and by admitting that you frequently are wrong (You are, you know. We all are.), you almost force the other person to admit that he, too, may be wrong! Then, with egos out of the way, you can both search objectively for the truth! And if you really are wrong this time, it will be much less embarrassing for you than if you had been stubbornly insisting that you were totally right! 16. Let the other person do most of the talking. You like it when people let you do most of the talking. So do the same for them. It won't hurt you, and you might learn something. 17. Let the other person talk about himself. You like to talk about yourself, don't you? We all like to talk about ourselves! But restrain the urge, and let the other person talk about himself, instead. 18. Let the other person take some credit. If something has worked out well, don't grab all the credit for yourself, even if you think you deserve it all. Spread the credit around, share it with the other people involved. 19. Let the other person save face. The expression "saving face" means to maintain dignity, or not to look like an idiot or a worthless person. Sometimes people do things which make them look like an idiot or a worthless person. If you can rescue the other person in such a situation, and help him maintain his dignity, he will be very appreciative. And maybe someone will do the same for you sometime, when you need it most! "As you do, so shall it be done unto you." 20. Hold the other person, and yourself, to high and noble standards. People tend to live up to the expectations others have of them. If you expect a lot from someone, he tends to give you what you expect. Likewise, if you expect little from someone, that is what you tend to get. So act honestly, and expect honesty from the other person; act morally, and expect morality from the other person; act fairly, and expect fairness from the other person. 21. Go the extra mile. You are pleasantly surprised when other people do more for you than you had asked, or more than you expect. So do the same for them: "Go the extra mile." * * * Compiled And Edited By Bill McGinnis, Written 1983-1998 Public Domain bmcgin@patriot.net http://patriot.net/users/bmcgin/ministries.html http://patriot.net/users/bmcgin/love.html

Links To Related Pages

This appears to be => the most extensive Golden Rule site on the Internet. (http://www.jcu.edu/philosophy/gensler/goldrule.htm)

=>How To Love Other People - Home Page (http://patriot.net/users/bmcgin/love.html)

=> "The Twenty-One Greatest Ideas In Human Relations" (http://patriot.net/users/bmcgin/the21.html)

=>The Laws Of God For All Mankind (http://patriot.net/users/bmcgin/pearl-lawsofgod.html)

=> Draft Resolution To Adopt The Golden Rule (http://patriot.net/users/bmcgin/resolution.html)

=> A Call For Workers(http://patriot.net/users/bmcgin/workers.html)

=>Summary Of Human Ethics In Eleven Words (http://patriot.net/users/bmcgin/exhortation57.txt

=>The Committee For The Golden Rule (http://patriot.net/users/bmcgin/golden.html

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     http://patriot.net/users/bmcgin/chapel.html
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May the Lord bless this presentation of His holy Word.


     Rev. Bill McGinnis  <><
     bmcgin@patriot.net

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