Be Who You Want to Meet

They don't quite get the Golden Rule.

“Do unto others as you would have them to unto you.”

Jesus stated the Golden Rule, and it’s one of his teachings that has crept into nearly every person’s awareness. Stated more plainly – treat people the way you want to be treated.

How do you want to meet people?

For me, I don’t want people knocking on my door when I’m sitting down to dinner. I don’t want them sticking a clipboard in my face when I’m going into a store. I don’t want to get a phone call at 9:30pm when I’m trying to watch a movie with friends. I don’t want an impersonal mailer extoling the life-changing effects of something I’ve never heard of. I don’t want an email from a stranger with a deal that’s too good to be true.

I don’t want any of that stuff. So why would I do it to anyone else?

I want to meet people on my terms, where I’m comfortable and when I’m ready. So that’s how I need to approach meeting other people. Their terms. Their comfortableness. Their time.

Here’s the kicker. When you treat other people they way you want to be treated you end up sacrificing your preferences for theirs. The Golden Rule doesn’t mean you get to be selfish and have everything your way. Instead it means that you get to give up your way. You get to learn how other people like things and do that instead.

Jesus will mess up your life like that.