A few days ago my family and I were watching Charlie Brown Christmas clips. In one of them Lucy approaches Charlie Brown and says,“Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown, t’is the season of peace on earth and good will toward men. Therefore, I suggest we forget our differences and love one another.” At this Charlie Brown responds, “That’s wonderful, Lucy. I’m so glad you said that. But tell me, do we have to love each other only at this season of the year? Why can’t we love each other all year long? To which Lucy responds, “What are you some kind of fanatic or something?”
I think Lucy represents many people in the world today. They are cordial on the outside but when it comes down to living a lifestyle of caring they fall short. Instead of walking with kindness they see it as an event. At moments they are kind yet at other moments they could care less. Jesus taught a whole different life style though, check this out…
Matthew 7:12
So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you.
This verse says do to others when they have done it for you right? No, it says do to others what you WOULD want them to do to you. That means you act first. Be proactive with kindness, not reactive. Unfortunately for some their Golden Rule has become tarnished. It is collecting dust in the corner of their mind. Rather than making sure it is polished and on display for the world to see they forget about it. When we forget the Golden Rule we forget about what really matters…People. Pride consumes us when the Golden Rule is lost. Life then becomes about us, our hurts, our issues, our fears, our stress, our anxiety, our feelings, our reputation, our status. If life was only about ourselves no one would ever do anything for anyone else would they? It is only when we move beyond us that we adventure into God’s plans for our life. You can’t do what God has called you to do and it not be about others. Jesus was about others. He made Himself a servant to all. This Bible verse sums up how we are called to live…
Philippians 2:1-8
Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.
In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!
Value others above yourself, wow, not easy. Jesus was incredible. The Son of God, who should have had humanity serving Him out of honor chose to serve us and humble Himself. He easily could have said, “Hey wait do you know who you are talking to? Do you know who I am?” But rather He made Himself nothing. This verse says that we should have the same mindset.
So what mindset do you have? How do you act to others? What about when they squeeze you and hurt you? How do you act then? It is easy to walk with kindness when everyone around you is kind, but what about when everyone around you is vicious? When you walk with kindness and humility others can’t destroy you. When you walk in integrity with a great attitude, no one will ever be able to prove you wrong! They may attack you, but you will ALWAYS win the battle. The truth will always make its way out! Walk with your head up high and walk with love by the Golden Rule and you will live a Christ-like life.
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