The wrong Golden Rule

"Do for others what you want them to do for you; for this is the law and the prophets." - Matthew 7:12 Easy enough! The Golden Rule! I mean even non-Christians believe this one. We've been ingrained with this rule since we were all sitting on carpet squares and drinking chocolate milk from a small carton, right? Does our world look like one ingrained with this rule?

Not only do non-Christian people believe the Golden Rule, but most all religions will have something to its effect in their scripture. But there is commonly one difference in the Golden Rule as it is often portrayed in places other than the Christian Bible.

In most cases, the Golden Rule is written, read, or quoted as:

"Don't do to others what you don't want done to you."

There is a significant difference between this Golden Rule and the one Jesus gives us in Matthew.

What is the difference?

Jesus' Golden Rule is proactive. Most other examples of the Golden Rule are in a negative and defensive standpoint. That is not the Golden Rule Jesus has placed before us. In fact, it is almost entirely different. He certainly made it more difficult.

Its not all that hard to simply refrain from doing bad things to people, but it is often very difficult to take initiative to be intentional about doing something good for others. This is a foundational law God has give us, and it is not the Golden Rule you may have in your mind all the time.

Jesus' Golden Rule is proactive.