Do Unto Others As You Would Have Them Do Unto You

"As you would like people to do to you, do exactly so to them." (Luke 6:31 WEB)

I am sure you have heard of the saying, be careful who you step on on the way up as you may meet them on the way down. I am not sure who first came up with this saying, but I have read a few variations along the same principle, which essentially is to avoid bullying people to achieve your own ends and to treat people well and this will avoid you being a target yourself. For example, if you work in an office and do not treat all people well on your rise to the top, you may regret some of your actions if you encounter some of those same people later during your career, who may then be your equals or superiors, or it may be people lower down in the ranks who topple you from power. People tend to have long memories and not all are willing to let past wrongs go unpunished.

The counter to the above is given by Jesus, when He said, "Therefore whatever you desire for men to do to you, you shall also do to them; for this is the law and the prophets." (Matthew 7:12 WEB) When we all treat other people with respect, we allow love for all humankind to spread. Jesus said, "Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. " (Matthew 5:43-48 KJV)

In a similar vein, I think of the words Jesus spoke when He said, "Don't judge, and you won't be judged. Don't condemn, and you won't be condemned. Set free, and you will be set free." (Luke 6:37 WEB) 

Related blog articles:
Do Unto Others As You Would Have Them Do Unto You (Part 2)