Saturday, October 16, 2010

THE GOLDEN RULE

086 – OCTOBER 2010

Romans 12:21 Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good

The Italian Godfather answers a person’s favor with - “I owe you a favor.”
That same Don answers a person’s betrayal with - “Get out of my sight. I’ll spare your life, but you’re a dead man to me.”

The Golden Rule asks for the opposite … “Do unto others as you would want others to do unto you.”
As we’ve discussed - Most times, we drop the words 5, 6, 7, and 9 and the rule of reality reads, “Do unto others as others do unto you.”
OR – The Godfather’s Rule would read “Do unto others as you would want others to do unto you … unless they treat you like crap! Then you retaliate and treat them like crap also.”

The fact is we have all been guilty of treating others the way they treat us:
Someone makes mistakes that affect us and we treat them a bit more casual than we treat others.
Someone falls short in their response to us and we put our finger on the “off” button.
Someone fails to meet our expectations and we demote them to ”inferior human being”.
Someone treats us with disrespect and we choose to void their irreverence with our well chosen and superior words of intellect.
Too often, we return people’s behavior by acting in the same manner.
If they are nice, we like them and we do unto them nicely. If they are not nice, we don’t like them and we do unto them not nicely.

It is a wide and easy path. Anyone can react this way.
I challenge you to not want to be just anyone. Anyone can do that! Choose a more narrow and difficult path and rise above the calm of mediocrity.

Luke 6:28 Bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.
Ouch! This not going to be easy!

vs.29 If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic.
Forget it! I quit! … Just kidding!


Homework - Try saying the Godfather lines with a raspy voice. And keep your hands moving as you speak. Amuse yourself.