Did you know that the “Golden Rule” of “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” is found in all major religions? While the wording may be different, the premise of treating others as kindly as you would want them to treat you still exists. I find that fascinating because it suggests the Golden Rule is a principle put into man’s heart by their Creator. And if God put it there, does it mean He follows the Golden Rule?

We all want to be treated honestly, patiently, and kindly. We don’t like being judged or gossiped about. We long for others to believe the best in us and give us grace when we make mistakes. No one wants to be controlled or manipulated, and we all want honesty and trust. Consequently, if God’s following the Golden Rule, does that mean these desires represent the way He is treating us? Could God really be that good?

For years I thought He wasn’t. I thought God’s primary mission was behavior modification, which made me assume He was generally disappointed in me. I felt He was a nitpicker who was out to double-deal me and that His promises came with a hook. Frankly, I thought Jesus was the only thing keeping God from treating me how I unquestionably did not want to be treated. I could see Jesus as a Golden Rule follower, but not God.

Fortunately, God is beginning to show me who He really is through His patience and kindness. The first thing I learned is that God is not different than Jesus. The Bible says Jesus is the “exact image of the invisible God”; thus, if Jesus follows the Golden Rule, so does God. Let that soak in. God is treating you as He would want you to treat Him. He’s that good. He’s that kind.

My Pastor, Jason Forby, taught Romans 2:4 recently. The scripture says, “It’s the goodness of God that leads man to repentance.”  Or, as The Passion Translation puts it, “Do you not realize that all the wealth of His extravagant kindness is meant to melt your heart and lead you into repentance?”  Underneath that verse was a footnote that read, “The Aramaic can be translated, ‘Do you not know that it is the fulfillment of God to bring you blessings?'”  Wow. There’s something that will mess with your theology, huh?

All this reminds me of my favorite Crowder song entitled Praise the Lord. Here are some of the lyrics: “Your love’s an ocean, not a river. A symphony, not just a song. I don’t think everybody’s right. I think we often get it wrong. I think that when we get to Heaven, we’re gonna laugh when we can see how hard we try to make it and how easy it should be. And so, I just don’t buy it anymore. No, I’ve tried, and I’ve tried to know everything for sure. But I find I know less as I come to know You more. You’re not who I thought You were. Praise the Lord.”

If the God of your interior doesn’t follow the Golden Rule, I want you to be bold enough to ask yourself if maybe, just maybe, you’ve got it wrong. I’ve been deconstructing my preconceived notions for a while now, and I’ve got a long way to go. But I can tell you this much, He’s not who I thought He was. Praise the Lord!

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One response

  1. In truth,Only God could have the ability to differentiate me from my actions . That’s why I thought our actions per se, could be disappointing to Him ; His Golden Rule would not want us to do some of the things we do. If we believe this, wouldn’t we want to modify our behavior? This gets all jumbled in my mind and I don’t pretend to know any answers. Very thought provoking.

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