The Golden Rule
Table of Contents
Treat people how you want to be treated - active care, not just avoiding harm.
Key Concept
- The check is experiential - how would I want to be spoken to, helped, forgiven, included?
“In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets.Matthew 7:12 NASB1995
- That sets the floor for every interaction.
- Free Grace keeps it from becoming a merit system: I treat others well because Christ treated me well first.
- I treat people how I would want to be treated.
- The Golden Rule is active care for my neighbor - not just avoiding harm and calling it love.
Level 1 - Recognize
The Golden Rule is treating others how you want to be treated - active care for your neighbor, not just avoiding harm.
Level 2 - Explain
The check is experiential - how you would want to be spoken to, helped, forgiven, and included sets the floor before you act.
Level 3 - Use
Run the experiential check before the hard conversation - pause before the post button with a critique that is true and cruel.
Level 4 - Connect
The experiential check fails when you only avoid harm - Love Your Neighbor is the person in front, not a principle on a slide.
Level 5 - Create
Free Grace keeps it from becoming a merit system - I treat others well because Christ treated me well first, not to earn standing.
Examples
- My thumb was on the post button with a critique that was probably true and definitely cruel - glad the pause asked how I would want someone to say that to me.
- Before I barked at the ref in front of the kids, I asked how I would want a coach to talk to me after a bad call - the Golden Rule changed the volume.
Note Relationships
| Relationship | Wikilink | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| contradicts | Love Your Enemies | when I only apply it to people who already treat me well |
| extends | Create Regular Connection | I would want steady presence, not one grand gesture |
| extends | Follow Their Lead | I would want someone to enter my world before fixing mine |
| extends | Free Grace | Treat others well because Christ treated you well first - not to buy heaven |
| extends | Kindness | Tender regard I would want if roles reversed |
| extends | Listen Before Fixing | I would want to be heard before being handed advice |
| extends | Notice the Good | I would want someone to name what I did well, not vague good job |
