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COMMON VIOLATIONS OF THE GOLDEN RULE “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.” (Mat 7:12) This, of course, is commonly referred to as the "golden rule." If it’s the GOLDEN rule, then it’s the main rule, the first rule. It takes priority over other rules and excuses. It often CANCELS other rules and excuses. One might say, “9Well, that’s just how I am,” but the golden rule of Jesus Christ says DENY SELF and CHANGE! One might say, “I don’t care what others think,” but the golden rule of Jesus says, “Repent and START caring." One might say, “I want it this way,” but the golden rule says, “Too bad, nobody else does.” Now, to be technical for a moment, Matthew 7:12 is not the golden rule. It's actually more like the silver rule, the number two rule, while the golden rule is to love God (Mat. 22:37-40). Loving God comes first, then loving your fellow man comes second. So doing unto others as you would have them do unto you is more in line with the second greatest commandment than the first, thus making it God's silver and second rule. But, when it comes to human relations, which is what most folks are referring to when they mention the rule, it is the golden rule, so we'll stick with that term and not press the technical point in this message. Now, there are times when the golden rule does not apply, such as in cases that justify or cover sin (helping a murderer escape, not reporting strange and suspicious neighbors, etc.), but it usually does apply, and most people IGNORE and BREAK the golden rule regularly. The golden rule can be followed only by a GOLDEN HEART, a heart that has been touched and fixed by God himself. Proverbs 23:26 says, “My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways.” But most folks never really give their hearts to God, so they spend their days breaking the golden rule of Jesus Christ. I dare say that most of us seldom manage to get through a single day without breaking the golden rule. Self simply gets in the way of consideration for others and we end up NOT doing unto others as we would have them do unto us. Let me give you some instances where this is common, some everyday violations of the golden rule. YOU BREAK THE GOLDEN RULE WHEN YOU . . . I. JUDGE UNFAIRLY AND MISUNDERSTAND SOMEONE. . . Would you want to be misunderstood? Many times I’ve thought “Well, that’s dumb. I wouldn’t have done that.” Then someone says, “Well, he didn’t choose to do it either. It was sort of forced on him.” That changes everything. I broke the golden rule, not by judging, but by judging unfairly instead of righteously, as required by John 7:24. II. GOSSIP ABOUT SOMEONE.....Gossip is the spreading of unnecessary or false information – idle chat that stirs the pot of misleading or harmful information. Would you want others doing that to you? Then don't do it to them. Always speak necessary truth, but never spread gossip. For instance, Paul stated the necessary truth that "Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil," (II Tim 4:14) but he didn't spread gossip by spreading unproven rumors or unnecessary truths. III. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OR USE SOMEONE......Would you want to be used and taken advantage of? With many Christians, that’s the story of their lives—being used and taken advantage of just because they are humble and won’t fight back. This is especially true in the workplace where unsaved people take advantage of Christians, and it's often true with Christians taking advantage of other Christians. You cannot take advantage of and use people without breaking the golden rule of Jesus Christ. IV. SHOW UP LATE AND KEEP OTHERS WAITING.......Would you want others to keep you waiting and STEAL YOUR TIME while they show up late? You could be doing a dozen things with that time, but they stole it from you by being late. That’s selfish, inconsiderate, immature, and a violation of the golden rule. As an occasional accident, it's understandable, but as a habit, it's a violation of the golden rule. V. FORCE YOUR WILL ON OTHERS.......Would you want others to force their will on you? By whining, nagging, scheming, and just outright demanding, many people coerce others into doing things that they would not otherwise do. You don't appreciate others doing such things to you, so don't do it to them. VI. ANNOY OR TROUBLE OTHERS.......Would you want to be annoyed or troubled by others? Do you appreciate someone running their mouth nonstop in your presence? Then shut your own mouth. Do you appreciate someone always making critical remarks to you? Then how about a little more kindness in your own speech? Would you like for your neighbor's barking dog to keep you awake all night? Then don't have a such a dog yourself.I'm serious, folks. The golden rule is one of the most violated rules in all of God's word. VII. SAY RUDE OR UNKIND THINGS TO OTHERS......It costs no more to use kind words, so why use unkind ones? Why be short and impatient with people? Why be a verbal bully when you can easily slow down and show more consideration and grace in your speech? Did Paul not say to let your speech be with grace, seasoned with salt? (Col. 4:6) That means making a conscious effort to get the words just right instead of too weak or too strong. I'm afraid that fitting words have become a lost art to this face-paced society, but we Christians should know better and should make a serious effort to speak to others as we would want others to speak to us. VIII. FAIL TO RENDER DUE HONOR AND RESPECT TO OTHERS…….Most everyone has reached some level of skill or expertise along life's way, and they deserve some respect. Looking a person in the eye and listening to what they have to say can go a long way towards establishing a better relationship, and sometimes an open door for a witness. Even when you don't agree, why create friction by letting them know it? It seldom causes any harm to be respectful and make a sincere effort to render honour to whom honor is due (Rom. 13:7). You appreciate being respected for your experience, wisdom or contributions, so render that same respect to others, no matter who it is. IX. ALLOW YOUR RESPONSIBILITES TO FALL ON OTHERS.......Would you want others to allow their responsibilities to fall on you? Anyone who works around others on a daily basis can tell you stories of people who neglect their duties simply because they know someone else will have to do the work. It doesn't bother them to see THEIR jobs being performed by someone else, yet if asked to do someone else's job, they nearly have a heart attack. Such a person lives in constant violation of the golden rule. It is my duty as a Christian to go the EXTRA mile, not to look for ways to leave my responsibilities for others to perform. If I do so, I break the golden rule. X. NEVER EVEN TRY TO SEE YOURSELF IN ANYONE ELSE'S SHOES…..We all have our own lives and our own distinct personalities, responsibilities, gifts and flaws, so there's no way to ever really know what it's like being someone else. But we might get a little taste of it, if we would mentally unplug self and think about being in someone else's shoes once in a while. Think about what it might be like to have their job, their health issues, their past, their spouse, their family, and their life in general. I'm telling you, that one little mental exercise can change your attitude about a person in less than thirty seconds! As my old buddy, Mack used to say, "There's something wrong with all of us." We keep forgetting that, so we keep breaking the golden rule and having problems. We can do better, and we should. These are just a few examples, but very real and common examples of how we break the golden rule of Jesus Christ on a daily basis. God help us! “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.” (Mat 7:12)