Jesus gave us some great gems of teaching in His Sermon on the Mount. One of these well known nuggets is what we know as the Golden Rule. It goes like this:
So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets. (Matt. 7:12)
This Golden Rule reminds us to give out grace to others. I want to pass on to you a prayer that I received from my friend, Cheryl. It talks about this great application of the Golden Rule.
“Heavenly Father, help us remember that the jerk who cut us off in traffic last night is a single mother who worked nine hours that day and was rushing home to cook dinner, help with homework, do the laundry and spend a few precious moments with her children.
Help us to remember that the pierced, tattooed, disinterested young man who can’t make change correctly is a worried 19 year-old college student, balancing his apprehension over final exams with his fear of not getting his student loans for next semester.
Remind us, Lord, that the scary looking bum, begging for money in the same spot every day (who really out to get a job!) is a slave to addictions that we can only imagine in our worst nightmares.
Help us to remember that the old couple walking annoyingly slow through the store aisles and blocking our shopping progress are savoring this moment, knowing that, based on the biopsy report she got back last week, this will be the last year that they will go shopping together.
Heavenly Father, remind us each day that, of all the gifts you give us, the greatest gift is love. It is not enough to share that love with those we hold dear. Open our hearts to just to those who are close to us but to all humanity. Let us be slow to judgment and quick to forgiveness and patience and empathy and love.
Help us to live by the Golden Rule and to love with all our hearts (as You have loved us). Amen.”
As the Lord has shown us grace and mercy, let us pass it on to others! Let’s be a funnel of His love to the world. It’s what Whole Life Worship is all about!
What are your thoughts and applications of the Golden Rule?
WholeLifeWorship 
Those are great prayers to help us remember there is someone human and a soul behind every each of those moments where we can be prone to not love. It gives us a chance to pause and try to see things from their perspective.
I would add some of these prayers from Scripture:
Help us to remember that each of these people are made in Your image and reflect Your likeness.
Help us to remember that whatever we do to the least of these, we do to You, Lord Jesus.
Thanks for these prayers, Tim! They are great applications to how we can live out the teachings of Jesus. It begins with the prayers of grace that renew our minds and perspectives.
Are you trying to make me cry? Mission accomplished .
Well, Steve, Jesus’ perspective on life usually moves us to consider things of the heart that we are usually too busy or too self-focused to see and feel. He brilliantly turns the tables on us so that we see others through a different lens that moves us to be more loving, and therefore, more fruitful in the things of life that really count. Thanks for your transparency and sharing with us!
I’ve experienced so many life lessons in this area. Years ago, God gave me one that I will never forget. I was on my way to an appointment. It was one of “those” days when I had tried to do that, “one more thing” before I went out the door. Now, I was running late. After missing every light, I got on the freeway. To my utter dismay and agitation, I got behind a person who had the audacity to go exactly the speed limit! Furthermore, I was boxed in by a semi. I found myself growing increasingly aggravated at this pokey driver who was blocking my goal! In my car, I was yelling, “Oh my GOSH, why don’t you pull over a WALK?? The stinkin’ semi next to you is going faster than YOU are!! Get the heck out of my way!!!” Finally, I saw my opening and hit the gas. As I sped around him, I wanted to shoot him the “what the heck are you doing” look. However, when I got right beside him, I noticed it was Gary Jones. Gary was one of the people who had been praying for me to open my heart to the Lord. When I accepted Christ, he (and his wonderful parents,) started a study for us “newbies” in the gospel of John. He was my first mentor. Now, here I was, running late (through no one’s fault but my own,) angry at a driver who was actually obeying the law, all set to throw the “hate glare” dagger at a stranger-only to find the “stranger” is someone God used to change the course of my life. It was very humbling indeed. It was a eye-opening object lesson reminding me in an instant how far I had come (since God graciously plucked me from the darkness)….and how desperately far I still had to go.
Thanks, Myrna, for this amazing story! And thanks for your honest humor – it really speaks to all of us. I especially like how you point out that it’s when we are in a hurry or anxious or preoccupied that we tend to ditch Jesus’ teachings (which aren’t very convenient – how dare he?) and latch onto our worldly instincts, which get us into trouble. We all have a long ways to go! (And Gary Jones does drive slow LOL!)
When tempted to judge others as inept, if we make a habit of always erring on the side of mercy, we cannot go wrong. Thanks, Dr. Douglas and Cheryl for these reminders.
Yes, “Blessed are the merciful for they shall receive mercy.” Great insight! Thanks, Cathy!