“Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you”

Twice this week in both a personal and business context, I’ve been asked, “Yeah, but would they do that for you/us if in the same situation?”  My answer was the same, “That’s the wrong calculus…we should not do things for others based on what they might, would have, or have done for us.” The right calculus is to not care what someone else might, or should do, in return.  Instead, we should do what we know is right and only think about the equation that way.

I am not one for advocating the improvement of God’s Word…but if I could….I’d suggest that the Golden Rule would not read, “Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you”, but instead, “Do to others more than whatever you would like them to do to you.”  Why do I think this way?  It’s because Jesus did so much more for us than we could ever expect we can do for Him, and He modeled that for us.  And in the day and age that we are in, for God’s love to be noticed through us, we want all the differentiation we can get.  And when someone does indeed go way above and beyond for someone else, so much that it doesn’t really add up why, then it gets noticed. That new calculus can be our and us today!

Reference: Matthew 7:12 (New Living Translation)