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GOLDEN RULE WITNESSING Several years ago I went into a local boot store looking to buy a pair of western boots. As soon as I entered the door, a high pressure salesman moved in for the sale. While in the store, FOUR different salesmen kept pestering me until I finally left without buying anything. To this day, I will drive to another boot store some forty miles away just to avoid another dreadful shopping experience. Yet, being so full of themselves with their blind sales ambition, I seriously doubt that any of those salesmen even realize that they lost a customer. When I drive onto a car lot to shop for a vehicle, I'll never get out of my truck, if a salesman is moving toward me before I've even looked at a vehicle. He can respect my privacy and my desire to shop a bit and think or he can lose a customer. Greeting me a few minutes after I've been looking is fine, but I despise overly ambitious salesmen. Pushy salesmen always push me away. That's what we can become, if we get too ambitious in our witnessing efforts. Instead of understanding the spiritual value of plowing, planting and watering with patience and prayer, we can push the sinner away from God with religious methodology by trying to force him into praying an empty prayer that cannot save. You know, the golden rule is called golden for a reason. In almost all human relations, it has the power to insure honestly, sincerity, compassion, patience and genuine quality. I don't want people pushing me into a corner and trying to pressure me into anything, so I don't do it to them. I don't mind seeing or hearing an advertisement, and I don't usually mind having a reasonable offer presented to me, but don't even think of pressuring me or trying your tricks of the trade on me. Thankfully, I have a brain that works quite well, and if you can't respect that, then we're done. I'm literally insulted by anyone who attempts to coach me and tell me how to think. There is no need to be impatient with sinners and hastily usurp the work of the Holy Spirit. "Drawing the net," as they call it, is God's job, not ours (John 6:44). Fruit that is ripe for picking doesn't have to be wrestled from the tree. Sometimes with the slightest nudge it'll just fall into your hands. When we push sinners too hard, we run a high risk of pushing them right into the hands of Satan, and sometimes by the path of an empty profession. If you want to be a golden witness, remember the golden rule. Never treat a lost person in a manner in which you wouldn't want to be treated. When giving them the gospel, present the truth in whatever manner you can while still respecting them as an intelligent, thinking individual. YOU dont want to be spoken down to like an immature child or like a hostage, so don't do it to others. Earn the respect of sinners by being respectful to them. Practice the golden rule in order to be a golden witness. Personally, I never buy a product because someone corners me and pressures me. When I buy a product, it's always because (1) I know the product to be good or (2) someone respected me enough to effectively advertise the product to me by appealing to my ability to think for myself and make a sound decision. Salvation must always be the result of a sinner being given factual information about himself as a sinner and about Jesus Christ as his only hope. He must make a sound decision with a convicted heart, not merely follow a shallow or confused lead with his head. This goal is reached by earning the respect and trust of the sinner, not by manipulating him with smooth marketing techniques. I remember a story told years ago about a Christian lady who worked in a nursing home. She earned the love and respect of the elderly folks in the home by praying, being super nice and never complaining or showing frustration with her challenging job. When one would comment on her kindness, she would tell them how kind Jesus had been to her and how it was the least she could do. This was often all it took to humble their hearts and prepare them for the gospel seed, so she saw many receive Christ. That's golden rule witnessing. That's earning respect and breaking good ground by treating others as you would want to be treated, and there needs to be a lot more of it.