And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.
It commands putting oneself in another's place and treating every person exactly as one would wish to be treated in the same situation. It is the true standard of Christianity and honest dealing, the lived meaning of loving one's neighbor as oneself. Its full pattern is seen in Christ, whose compassion, patience and self-sacrificing care for the poor, the suffering and even the rebellious are to be copied toward others. It requires forgiving and restoring the erring with the same mercy, tenderness and privacy one would want for oneself, rather than with harsh exposure or rigid severity. It governs speech, reputation and all business, forbidding fraud, exaggeration, exorbitant charges and taking advantage of another's need, and calling instead for generous, practical help to those in distress.
Meaning of the Rule
The rule commands treating others in all dealings exactly as one would wish to be treated oneself, putting oneself in imagination in the other person's place and doing to that person as one would be done by. Applied to seeing wrongs in others, it calls for merciful and kind conduct and keeps from speaking evil of those who may have been misjudged. In facing difficulty and resolving church disputes, it means showing the consideration and fairness one would desire for oneself rather than worsening conflict through careless or harmful conduct. Toward precious souls coming from foreign countries it means dealing with them as one would wish Christ to deal with oneself, with clear conceptions for every case, with words that create an influence to faithfulness and truth, and with care that institutions give right impressions to carry back and stand in elevated, noble good repute. Those laboring to save souls must hold true as steel to this principle in all dealings.
It is the true standard of Christianity, so that anything less is deception, and it requires valuing others as Christ valued them in giving Himself for them and caring about their needs, suffering and rights. Neglecting the poor, the suffering or sinners is disloyalty to Christ, and claiming His name while denying His character in life weakens Christianity's influence and causes His name to be blasphemed. It is the true rule of honesty, the practical expression of loving one's neighbor as oneself, and the substance of the prophets' teaching. That love is shown in kindness, thoughtfulness, politeness and hospitality at home and among neighbors, giving evidence of what faith does and drawing others to Christ, while selfish or worldly behavior places obstacles in their way.
It is a principle of heaven and the basis of true courtesy. It is a living, holy principle to be taught to children at home and in school, brought into daily life here, practiced in daily life, and carried into the school above. This is the higher education that no learning of human origin can reach, because it reaches into eternity and is immortalized. Living by it marks steady progress toward the height God's will sets before humanity, and a world living by it would indicate a converted world.
It requires cherishing justice and truth, daily strengthening reverence for justice, equity and truth, and hating cruelty and oppression. It refuses to favor oneself at another's disadvantage or to another's disadvantage, refuses to allow in oneself what one condemns in others, and refuses disrespect and disregard for right and justice. It is the rule of conduct and a practical deed and not merely a word, belonging to following Christ's example in building character.
Christ's Example and Character
The rule requires valuing other people as Christ valued them when He gave Himself for them, caring for their needs and suffering and rights as matters of loyalty to Him, so that to neglect the poor and suffering and sinners is disloyalty to Christ. Jesus' own life and character give its fullest example, showing what it looks like to put oneself in another's place and treat that person as one would wish to be treated. When Christ dwells within, His Spirit appears in conduct marked by purity and tenderness and sympathy, and through affirmative doing of good in speech and helpful action God's moral image is restored in men and women.
It means treating others as Jesus treats them, with compassion and patience and persistent effort to reclaim those who err even when they are rebellious and difficult. No conduct by parent or teacher or worker is just if it differs from what the Saviour would do in the same circumstances, and harsh, overbearing, condemnatory words that wound hearts are forbidden in favor of kind, encouraging words even to those who make mistakes. Extending to others the same love Christ shows despite seeing every mistake breaks down obstinacy, warms hearts in gratitude, and binds people together in love and esteem and confidence.
Living it is doing just what Christ would do if He were in one's place, which calls for a transformed life in which human nature is made a partaker of the divine. The Samaritan illustrates it by helping the wounded stranger with the care he himself would want, while the priest and Levite illustrate how selfishness keeps people from doing so. The same duty appears in taking a poor, sick believer into one's own home without charge, crowding one's own family if necessary and giving full family privileges of board and care as long as she pleases, with Christian warmth as normal duty rather than as something extraordinary.
It also means refusing to make the world's manner of dealing one's own and instead giving the world in every action a nobler example that shows faith to be high and elevated in character, true to belief and revealing the nobility of truth. To claim Christ's name while denying His character in life weakens the influence of Christianity and causes the Lord's name to be blasphemed, for anything less than this standard is deception.
Training Children and Youth
The golden rule is the rule for disciplining and training children and youth, requiring every pupil to be treated as the teacher would wish to be treated. It applies sacredly to every child, including the youngest, the dullest, the most blundering, the erring, and the rebellious. Toward them it calls for sympathy and forbearance.
In school discipline this means avoiding public exposure of a pupil's faults and, where possible, giving reproof or punishment privately. A student is not to be expelled until efforts to reform him have been made. If withdrawal becomes necessary, it should usually be arranged privately with the parents rather than made a public disgrace.
Parents are to treat children as they themselves would wish to be treated were they in the children's place. That means dealing with them as intelligent beings, with respect and gentleness, since gentleness governs most easily and successfully. A mother should remember her own childhood trials and meet children's errors and waywardness with kindness, patience, and sympathy. Such patience and forbearance is the same as one wants others to show oneself.
Parents should not deny children safe, innocent pleasures through excessive fear of harm, but should preserve their trust. Harshness in the parent is to be repressed, and harsh and severe conduct is not to be used, because harshness always arouses stubbornness and resistance. Dealing with children in that way makes them more perverse and, in those who claim to be Christ's followers, keeps their children from being won to Christ. Yet gentleness does not mean allowing disobedience.
The rule works in the other direction as well, for students are to treat those entrusted with responsibility as they themselves would wish to be treated. Applying this principle to teachers and educators promotes peace and success in the school.
Forgiving and Restoring the Erring
Those given responsibility must handle those who have done wrong with mercy, compassion, tenderness and forbearance, treating them exactly as they themselves would wish to be treated if placed in similar circumstances, and must never enforce a rigid standard of discipline lacking tenderness that deeply humiliates for pardonable faults. Condemning, discarding or discouraging an erring brother is forbidden, since no one would wish to be so treated himself.
Mercy and fair treatment make it a plain duty to forgive and accept a repentant sinner and to labor for the restoration of those who have done wrong. Those who seek freely given forgiveness must forgive their brethren and show them affection even when they deem them unworthy, forgiving in the same manner and to the same extent that they hope to be forgiven, offering their prayers for forgiveness with a forgiving spirit. Whoever refuses to show mercy to others cannot expect mercy toward himself, for he is dealt with as he deals with others.
Dealing with a wrongdoer means putting oneself in the offender's place and treating him as one would wish to be treated under similar circumstances and as one would wish to be treated by God if remiss in duty. It requires the tenderness and gentleness of Christ, studying from cause to effect, and handling the case with tact, Christlike patience, tenderness and sympathy, with deep longing of soul not to destroy but to see the soul converted. Tempted souls are under the bewitching power of Satan and occupy the same position toward God that all have occupied, and even those who seem incorrigible and cover remorse with bravado will melt under tenderness and sympathy.
The offender is to be shielded from exposure rather than made to appear in the worst possible light before others or having his errors made public, and the rich rays of mercy and forgiveness are to fall upon every delinquent to draw the evildoer away from Satan rather than thrusting him into Satan's power, following the course one would think proper in one's own case. Stern dealing helps Satan fasten the soul in sin and becomes the means of destruction, cutting the soul loose from all religious influence, hardening the heart, cutting off influence and making discipline of no effect. Unless the Spirit of Christ abides in the heart it is hard to put oneself in another's place, and exacting as far as possible the uttermost farthing and making the case appear as heinous as possible before the offender's associates brings the opposite effect. Such a course arouses those inclined to evil to desire to do the very deed condemned without mercy or justice, producing a don't-care, indignant spirit, and leaves an unpleasant remembrance like an ugly rugged scar whenever the harsh discipliner is named, heard of, or seen.
God deals with the rigid disciplinarian in the same rigid manner, enforces upon him the very laws he enforces upon others, and judges him according to his own acknowledged standard of righteousness. In the judgment a multitude of souls will be lost because compassion, tenderness and forbearance were withheld from them.
Leniency, patience and sympathy are required because one's own faults grieve others just as their faults grieve oneself, so differences must be met with the leniency and kindness one wishes to receive from God and from others. Forgiving love rules out harshness and retaliation, banishing the spirit of retaliation with its harsh words of retaliation and wounding, bruising, irritating actions that affront others and create a poisonous atmosphere. The renewing grace of Christ is to be sought now in the day of grace and repentance while intercession is still made.
Obedience is affirmative doing of good in speech and helpful action rather than negative withholding, treating brethren as one would want to be treated, and through it the moral image is restored. Harsh, overbearing, condemnatory words that wound hearts are forbidden, and kind, encouraging words are required even to those who make mistakes. When it is possible to help and favor brethren it is duty to do it, acting in Christ's place and revealing the Redeemer's spirit. Disobedience hinders mercy like that of the Father in heaven and comes from seeing things in a perverted light and failing to discern the talents and abilities of others as precious.
Leadership and Working Together
Anyone placed in trust over fellow workers must exercise continual watchfulness as a representative, remembering that others have a conscience as well as himself and keeping his influence wise and kindly in word and in manner of directing. He must put himself in their place in all dealing with them, because workers are the Lord's blood-bought heritage.
Toward fellow workers, especially those under one's direction, the rule forbids masterly dictation and severity and stinging words that cut like a whip when correcting mistakes and errors. Such harshness does not increase love for God nor soften and subdue the heart, but creates dislike and contempt for one who shows no feeling, strengthens stubbornness, and replaces love with hatred. Instead it requires reasoning from cause to effect and choosing soft, gentle words, because gentleness makes way for the love of Jesus, breaks down obstinacy, warms hearts in gratitude, and binds people together in love, esteem, and confidence. It is kept by extending to others the same love Christ extends despite seeing every mistake, which flows out when Christ is formed within as the hope of glory and reveals His kindness and love through the life.
Men in positions of responsibility must reason correctly by doing to others as they would want to be done by, bringing the command into daily practice as God's Word to be eaten and digested. When leaders obey it there is no need for corrective testimony. Toward a brother the rule gives a practical test for deciding how to act: show gentle kindness, consider his feelings, and act with Christian politeness rather than being critical, overbearing, or heedless. Such conduct reflects the spirit of Christ and is fitting for gospel ministers.
Believers must give one another the same respect they desire for themselves, and this mutual respect displays the unifying power of truth and honors God. Failure to practice it dishonors God, hinders His work, and creates unfavorable impressions that should never be given. Unbelievers who see lack of love and unity remain unconvicted of the truth. When facing difficulty, especially in resolving church disputes, the rule means showing others the consideration and fairness one would desire rather than worsening conflict through careless or harmful conduct.
Speech and Reputation
The rule requires guarding the interest and reputation of everyone connected with oneself just as carefully as one would have one's own reputation guarded. It includes protecting another's good name as one wants one's own protected, loving others as one wants to be loved, and actively working for their interests. It excludes seeking personal gain by doing them harm.
Disrespect for others and disregard for right and justice violate the rule, especially seizing on one person's mistake and talking it over until it swells to large proportions. Keeping this rule is a sacred principle required of all who labor together, particularly in God's institutions where this fault is found to a greater or lesser extent. When wrongs are seen in others, the same instruction calls for merciful and kind conduct. That spirit keeps one from speaking evil of those who may have been misjudged.
Gratitude for God's daily and hourly blessings is shown by a kindly, unselfish interest in all for whom Christ died. Sympathy is to be given liberally and not grudgingly, and by kind words and acts the path is to be made as easy for weary feet as one desires one's own path to be made. Blessings received are to be passed along to everyone contacted, not only to a favored few, giving grace for grace. Light and blessing selfishly kept and not shared will be removed by the Holy Spirit.
Honesty in Business Dealings
The golden rule must govern every line of work and every business transaction, allowing no unfair dealing of any kind. It continues the same directions for honest dealing once given through Moses to Israel, requiring workers to be living representatives of truth and righteousness. To gain advantage at another's expense is to abuse Christ in His people, and it stands recorded in heaven as fraud. Gain won at another's disadvantage hardens the soul against the Spirit of God and becomes a fearful loss, while kind and generous deeds that help others rise have lasting value.
In selling property this forbids hiding unfavorable facts or exaggerating benefits in order to secure a sale, for such a course deceives the buyer and violates conscience. Honesty likewise forbids exploiting circumstances for profit or overstating a property's likely increase in value to persuade a buyer, but requires treating the other as one would wish to be treated if in the same position. In business with brethren it means considering a brother's difficult situation and doing for him just as one would wish to be done by under similar circumstances. Confidence is to be placed in brethren to act without selfishness, rather than dealing with them for personal gain as with outsiders.
It forbids using another's perplexities or close ties in the work to obtain hard-earned property for little money from one who has no surplus to lose. Living this rule keeps character pure and clean and bright, and faithfulness to it is revealed when all are tested and tried to show what their characters are. Physicians must apply the same rule to fees, for charging exorbitant prices for a few minutes' work is not pleasing to God and is likened to robbery. Charges should therefore be reduced, and others should not be made to bear costs one would not accept oneself. In renting property, tenants who care for a place should receive the benefit of its fruit rather than doing the work while receiving little profit.
Toward those from foreign countries, institutions and responsible persons must put themselves in imagination in the stranger's place and deal with precious souls as they would wish Christ to deal with them. They are to have clear conceptions to know how to deal rightly in every case, so visitors receive right impressions to carry back to their own country and the college and sanitarium stand in the elevated, noble position of good repute intended for them. Those from foreign lands are not to be treated as those at home are ordinarily treated, but with special favor, acting generously and courteously and bearing extra demands rather than making close charges. Management is to be molded into a different shape and moved in all wisdom, so that prosperity given is imparted to others judiciously, freely and gladly without fear of loss, and no impression hinders souls from embracing truth or places the work in an unfavorable light. The same self-denial applies to supporting students and ministers, considering others' needs rather than taking from the portion reserved to sustain ministers in active service. It also requires sharing practical knowledge that enables the needy to provide for themselves, even when doing so may seem to work against one's own financial interests.
Compassionate Help to Others
The rule is the work placed in believers' hands to carry forward as laborers together with God. Living it makes them a spectacle to the world, to angels and to men, continuing the same mission of preaching good news to the poor, healing the brokenhearted, proclaiming deliverance to captives, restoring sight to the blind, setting the bound free, and proclaiming the acceptable year. In practice it means drawing out the soul to the hungry, satisfying the afflicted soul, and opening the hand wide to brother, poor and needy, done with a contrite and humble spirit that brings guidance, spiritual light and unfailing refreshment. In dealing with one another the controlling principles are mercy and love, improving every opportunity to help fellow beings in distress, for the condition of many calls for genuine mercy and the rule is a principle to cherish. Kindness, thoughtfulness, politeness and hospitality at home and among neighbors are its practical expression of loving neighbor as self, giving evidence of what faith does and drawing others, while selfish worldly conduct puts obstacles in their way.
Doing for others what one would expect any real Christian to do if places were reversed requires taking a poor sick believer into one's own home without charge, crowding one's own family if necessary. She is to be given full family privileges of board and care and allowed to remain as long as she pleases, shown with Christian warmth and heartiness not as something wonderful but as normal duty and just what would be done if in that place. Aged and dependent fellow believers are to receive one's best because they are children of the heavenly King, cared for in weakness exactly as one would wish to be cared for in their place.
In mission work those laboring in difficult needy fields are to be supported as one would want to be supported in the same circumstances. Those working to save precious souls must hold true as steel to the rule in all dealings, treating others in every transaction as one would wish to be treated. Following the example of doing good means helping others rise, and kind generous deeds have lasting value, while gain won at another's disadvantage hardens the soul and becomes fearful loss.
It commands putting oneself in another's place and treating every person exactly as one would wish to be treated in the same situation. It is the true standard of Christianity and honest dealing, the lived meaning of loving one's neighbor as oneself. Its full pattern is seen in Christ, whose compassion, patience and self-sacrificing care for the poor, the suffering and even the rebellious are to be copied toward others. It requires forgiving and restoring the erring with the same mercy, tenderness and privacy one would want for oneself, rather than with harsh exposure or rigid severity. It governs speech, reputation and all business, forbidding fraud, exaggeration, exorbitant charges and taking advantage of another's need, and calling instead for generous, practical help to those in distress.
Meaning of the Rule
The rule commands treating others in all dealings exactly as one would wish to be treated oneself, putting oneself in imagination in the other person's place and doing to that person as one would be done by. Applied to seeing wrongs in others, it calls for merciful and kind conduct and keeps from speaking evil of those who may have been misjudged. In facing difficulty and resolving church disputes, it means showing the consideration and fairness one would desire for oneself rather than worsening conflict through careless or harmful conduct. Toward precious souls coming from foreign countries it means dealing with them as one would wish Christ to deal with oneself, with clear conceptions for every case, with words that create an influence to faithfulness and truth, and with care that institutions give right impressions to carry back and stand in elevated, noble good repute. Those laboring to save souls must hold true as steel to this principle in all dealings.
It is the true standard of Christianity, so that anything less is deception, and it requires valuing others as Christ valued them in giving Himself for them and caring about their needs, suffering and rights. Neglecting the poor, the suffering or sinners is disloyalty to Christ, and claiming His name while denying His character in life weakens Christianity's influence and causes His name to be blasphemed. It is the true rule of honesty, the practical expression of loving one's neighbor as oneself, and the substance of the prophets' teaching. That love is shown in kindness, thoughtfulness, politeness and hospitality at home and among neighbors, giving evidence of what faith does and drawing others to Christ, while selfish or worldly behavior places obstacles in their way.
It is a principle of heaven and the basis of true courtesy. It is a living, holy principle to be taught to children at home and in school, brought into daily life here, practiced in daily life, and carried into the school above. This is the higher education that no learning of human origin can reach, because it reaches into eternity and is immortalized. Living by it marks steady progress toward the height God's will sets before humanity, and a world living by it would indicate a converted world.
It requires cherishing justice and truth, daily strengthening reverence for justice, equity and truth, and hating cruelty and oppression. It refuses to favor oneself at another's disadvantage or to another's disadvantage, refuses to allow in oneself what one condemns in others, and refuses disrespect and disregard for right and justice. It is the rule of conduct and a practical deed and not merely a word, belonging to following Christ's example in building character.
Christ's Example and Character
The rule requires valuing other people as Christ valued them when He gave Himself for them, caring for their needs and suffering and rights as matters of loyalty to Him, so that to neglect the poor and suffering and sinners is disloyalty to Christ. Jesus' own life and character give its fullest example, showing what it looks like to put oneself in another's place and treat that person as one would wish to be treated. When Christ dwells within, His Spirit appears in conduct marked by purity and tenderness and sympathy, and through affirmative doing of good in speech and helpful action God's moral image is restored in men and women.
It means treating others as Jesus treats them, with compassion and patience and persistent effort to reclaim those who err even when they are rebellious and difficult. No conduct by parent or teacher or worker is just if it differs from what the Saviour would do in the same circumstances, and harsh, overbearing, condemnatory words that wound hearts are forbidden in favor of kind, encouraging words even to those who make mistakes. Extending to others the same love Christ shows despite seeing every mistake breaks down obstinacy, warms hearts in gratitude, and binds people together in love and esteem and confidence.
Living it is doing just what Christ would do if He were in one's place, which calls for a transformed life in which human nature is made a partaker of the divine. The Samaritan illustrates it by helping the wounded stranger with the care he himself would want, while the priest and Levite illustrate how selfishness keeps people from doing so. The same duty appears in taking a poor, sick believer into one's own home without charge, crowding one's own family if necessary and giving full family privileges of board and care as long as she pleases, with Christian warmth as normal duty rather than as something extraordinary.
It also means refusing to make the world's manner of dealing one's own and instead giving the world in every action a nobler example that shows faith to be high and elevated in character, true to belief and revealing the nobility of truth. To claim Christ's name while denying His character in life weakens the influence of Christianity and causes the Lord's name to be blasphemed, for anything less than this standard is deception.
Training Children and Youth
The golden rule is the rule for disciplining and training children and youth, requiring every pupil to be treated as the teacher would wish to be treated. It applies sacredly to every child, including the youngest, the dullest, the most blundering, the erring, and the rebellious. Toward them it calls for sympathy and forbearance.
In school discipline this means avoiding public exposure of a pupil's faults and, where possible, giving reproof or punishment privately. A student is not to be expelled until efforts to reform him have been made. If withdrawal becomes necessary, it should usually be arranged privately with the parents rather than made a public disgrace.
Parents are to treat children as they themselves would wish to be treated were they in the children's place. That means dealing with them as intelligent beings, with respect and gentleness, since gentleness governs most easily and successfully. A mother should remember her own childhood trials and meet children's errors and waywardness with kindness, patience, and sympathy. Such patience and forbearance is the same as one wants others to show oneself.
Parents should not deny children safe, innocent pleasures through excessive fear of harm, but should preserve their trust. Harshness in the parent is to be repressed, and harsh and severe conduct is not to be used, because harshness always arouses stubbornness and resistance. Dealing with children in that way makes them more perverse and, in those who claim to be Christ's followers, keeps their children from being won to Christ. Yet gentleness does not mean allowing disobedience.
The rule works in the other direction as well, for students are to treat those entrusted with responsibility as they themselves would wish to be treated. Applying this principle to teachers and educators promotes peace and success in the school.
Forgiving and Restoring the Erring
Those given responsibility must handle those who have done wrong with mercy, compassion, tenderness and forbearance, treating them exactly as they themselves would wish to be treated if placed in similar circumstances, and must never enforce a rigid standard of discipline lacking tenderness that deeply humiliates for pardonable faults. Condemning, discarding or discouraging an erring brother is forbidden, since no one would wish to be so treated himself.
Mercy and fair treatment make it a plain duty to forgive and accept a repentant sinner and to labor for the restoration of those who have done wrong. Those who seek freely given forgiveness must forgive their brethren and show them affection even when they deem them unworthy, forgiving in the same manner and to the same extent that they hope to be forgiven, offering their prayers for forgiveness with a forgiving spirit. Whoever refuses to show mercy to others cannot expect mercy toward himself, for he is dealt with as he deals with others.
Dealing with a wrongdoer means putting oneself in the offender's place and treating him as one would wish to be treated under similar circumstances and as one would wish to be treated by God if remiss in duty. It requires the tenderness and gentleness of Christ, studying from cause to effect, and handling the case with tact, Christlike patience, tenderness and sympathy, with deep longing of soul not to destroy but to see the soul converted. Tempted souls are under the bewitching power of Satan and occupy the same position toward God that all have occupied, and even those who seem incorrigible and cover remorse with bravado will melt under tenderness and sympathy.
The offender is to be shielded from exposure rather than made to appear in the worst possible light before others or having his errors made public, and the rich rays of mercy and forgiveness are to fall upon every delinquent to draw the evildoer away from Satan rather than thrusting him into Satan's power, following the course one would think proper in one's own case. Stern dealing helps Satan fasten the soul in sin and becomes the means of destruction, cutting the soul loose from all religious influence, hardening the heart, cutting off influence and making discipline of no effect. Unless the Spirit of Christ abides in the heart it is hard to put oneself in another's place, and exacting as far as possible the uttermost farthing and making the case appear as heinous as possible before the offender's associates brings the opposite effect. Such a course arouses those inclined to evil to desire to do the very deed condemned without mercy or justice, producing a don't-care, indignant spirit, and leaves an unpleasant remembrance like an ugly rugged scar whenever the harsh discipliner is named, heard of, or seen.
God deals with the rigid disciplinarian in the same rigid manner, enforces upon him the very laws he enforces upon others, and judges him according to his own acknowledged standard of righteousness. In the judgment a multitude of souls will be lost because compassion, tenderness and forbearance were withheld from them.
Leniency, patience and sympathy are required because one's own faults grieve others just as their faults grieve oneself, so differences must be met with the leniency and kindness one wishes to receive from God and from others. Forgiving love rules out harshness and retaliation, banishing the spirit of retaliation with its harsh words of retaliation and wounding, bruising, irritating actions that affront others and create a poisonous atmosphere. The renewing grace of Christ is to be sought now in the day of grace and repentance while intercession is still made.
Obedience is affirmative doing of good in speech and helpful action rather than negative withholding, treating brethren as one would want to be treated, and through it the moral image is restored. Harsh, overbearing, condemnatory words that wound hearts are forbidden, and kind, encouraging words are required even to those who make mistakes. When it is possible to help and favor brethren it is duty to do it, acting in Christ's place and revealing the Redeemer's spirit. Disobedience hinders mercy like that of the Father in heaven and comes from seeing things in a perverted light and failing to discern the talents and abilities of others as precious.
Leadership and Working Together
Anyone placed in trust over fellow workers must exercise continual watchfulness as a representative, remembering that others have a conscience as well as himself and keeping his influence wise and kindly in word and in manner of directing. He must put himself in their place in all dealing with them, because workers are the Lord's blood-bought heritage.
Toward fellow workers, especially those under one's direction, the rule forbids masterly dictation and severity and stinging words that cut like a whip when correcting mistakes and errors. Such harshness does not increase love for God nor soften and subdue the heart, but creates dislike and contempt for one who shows no feeling, strengthens stubbornness, and replaces love with hatred. Instead it requires reasoning from cause to effect and choosing soft, gentle words, because gentleness makes way for the love of Jesus, breaks down obstinacy, warms hearts in gratitude, and binds people together in love, esteem, and confidence. It is kept by extending to others the same love Christ extends despite seeing every mistake, which flows out when Christ is formed within as the hope of glory and reveals His kindness and love through the life.
Men in positions of responsibility must reason correctly by doing to others as they would want to be done by, bringing the command into daily practice as God's Word to be eaten and digested. When leaders obey it there is no need for corrective testimony. Toward a brother the rule gives a practical test for deciding how to act: show gentle kindness, consider his feelings, and act with Christian politeness rather than being critical, overbearing, or heedless. Such conduct reflects the spirit of Christ and is fitting for gospel ministers.
Believers must give one another the same respect they desire for themselves, and this mutual respect displays the unifying power of truth and honors God. Failure to practice it dishonors God, hinders His work, and creates unfavorable impressions that should never be given. Unbelievers who see lack of love and unity remain unconvicted of the truth. When facing difficulty, especially in resolving church disputes, the rule means showing others the consideration and fairness one would desire rather than worsening conflict through careless or harmful conduct.
Speech and Reputation
The rule requires guarding the interest and reputation of everyone connected with oneself just as carefully as one would have one's own reputation guarded. It includes protecting another's good name as one wants one's own protected, loving others as one wants to be loved, and actively working for their interests. It excludes seeking personal gain by doing them harm.
Disrespect for others and disregard for right and justice violate the rule, especially seizing on one person's mistake and talking it over until it swells to large proportions. Keeping this rule is a sacred principle required of all who labor together, particularly in God's institutions where this fault is found to a greater or lesser extent. When wrongs are seen in others, the same instruction calls for merciful and kind conduct. That spirit keeps one from speaking evil of those who may have been misjudged.
Gratitude for God's daily and hourly blessings is shown by a kindly, unselfish interest in all for whom Christ died. Sympathy is to be given liberally and not grudgingly, and by kind words and acts the path is to be made as easy for weary feet as one desires one's own path to be made. Blessings received are to be passed along to everyone contacted, not only to a favored few, giving grace for grace. Light and blessing selfishly kept and not shared will be removed by the Holy Spirit.
Honesty in Business Dealings
The golden rule must govern every line of work and every business transaction, allowing no unfair dealing of any kind. It continues the same directions for honest dealing once given through Moses to Israel, requiring workers to be living representatives of truth and righteousness. To gain advantage at another's expense is to abuse Christ in His people, and it stands recorded in heaven as fraud. Gain won at another's disadvantage hardens the soul against the Spirit of God and becomes a fearful loss, while kind and generous deeds that help others rise have lasting value.
In selling property this forbids hiding unfavorable facts or exaggerating benefits in order to secure a sale, for such a course deceives the buyer and violates conscience. Honesty likewise forbids exploiting circumstances for profit or overstating a property's likely increase in value to persuade a buyer, but requires treating the other as one would wish to be treated if in the same position. In business with brethren it means considering a brother's difficult situation and doing for him just as one would wish to be done by under similar circumstances. Confidence is to be placed in brethren to act without selfishness, rather than dealing with them for personal gain as with outsiders.
It forbids using another's perplexities or close ties in the work to obtain hard-earned property for little money from one who has no surplus to lose. Living this rule keeps character pure and clean and bright, and faithfulness to it is revealed when all are tested and tried to show what their characters are. Physicians must apply the same rule to fees, for charging exorbitant prices for a few minutes' work is not pleasing to God and is likened to robbery. Charges should therefore be reduced, and others should not be made to bear costs one would not accept oneself. In renting property, tenants who care for a place should receive the benefit of its fruit rather than doing the work while receiving little profit.
Toward those from foreign countries, institutions and responsible persons must put themselves in imagination in the stranger's place and deal with precious souls as they would wish Christ to deal with them. They are to have clear conceptions to know how to deal rightly in every case, so visitors receive right impressions to carry back to their own country and the college and sanitarium stand in the elevated, noble position of good repute intended for them. Those from foreign lands are not to be treated as those at home are ordinarily treated, but with special favor, acting generously and courteously and bearing extra demands rather than making close charges. Management is to be molded into a different shape and moved in all wisdom, so that prosperity given is imparted to others judiciously, freely and gladly without fear of loss, and no impression hinders souls from embracing truth or places the work in an unfavorable light. The same self-denial applies to supporting students and ministers, considering others' needs rather than taking from the portion reserved to sustain ministers in active service. It also requires sharing practical knowledge that enables the needy to provide for themselves, even when doing so may seem to work against one's own financial interests.
Compassionate Help to Others
The rule is the work placed in believers' hands to carry forward as laborers together with God. Living it makes them a spectacle to the world, to angels and to men, continuing the same mission of preaching good news to the poor, healing the brokenhearted, proclaiming deliverance to captives, restoring sight to the blind, setting the bound free, and proclaiming the acceptable year. In practice it means drawing out the soul to the hungry, satisfying the afflicted soul, and opening the hand wide to brother, poor and needy, done with a contrite and humble spirit that brings guidance, spiritual light and unfailing refreshment. In dealing with one another the controlling principles are mercy and love, improving every opportunity to help fellow beings in distress, for the condition of many calls for genuine mercy and the rule is a principle to cherish. Kindness, thoughtfulness, politeness and hospitality at home and among neighbors are its practical expression of loving neighbor as self, giving evidence of what faith does and drawing others, while selfish worldly conduct puts obstacles in their way.
Doing for others what one would expect any real Christian to do if places were reversed requires taking a poor sick believer into one's own home without charge, crowding one's own family if necessary. She is to be given full family privileges of board and care and allowed to remain as long as she pleases, shown with Christian warmth and heartiness not as something wonderful but as normal duty and just what would be done if in that place. Aged and dependent fellow believers are to receive one's best because they are children of the heavenly King, cared for in weakness exactly as one would wish to be cared for in their place.
In mission work those laboring in difficult needy fields are to be supported as one would want to be supported in the same circumstances. Those working to save precious souls must hold true as steel to the rule in all dealings, treating others in every transaction as one would wish to be treated. Following the example of doing good means helping others rise, and kind generous deeds have lasting value, while gain won at another's disadvantage hardens the soul and becomes fearful loss.