THE GOLDEN RULE OF LIFE.


"And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them like wise."

Luke 6:31. This is a good rule for every-day living. It is known

throughout the Christian world as "The Golden Rule." It has great depths.

It contains more no doubt than any of us comprehend. But let us study it

for a moment. We might divide it into two rules: First, Do good to all;

second, Do harm to none. We would that all men should do us good, and we
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would that none should do us harm. But if we would see the greater depths

of this rule, we must look beyond the physical man. To do good to all and

harm to none in a bodily or physical sense is indeed good, but to do good

to all and harm to none in a moral sense is much better. We should do all

we can to help others in a moral sense. Is not this what we would have all

men do to us? We should do harm to none in a moral sense, because we would

have none do us harm. This necessitates living a very holy life.



There are two ways in which we may do good to men morally: first, by

strengthening the good that is in them; second, by suppressing and helping

them to overcome any evil or fault that may be in them. Likewise, there

are two ways in which we may do harm to men morally: first, by

strengthening and encouraging the evil and fault that may be in them;

second, by suppressing and destroying the good that may be in them.



We are all creatures of influence. We are being influenced, and we are

having an influence. There never was a human life but that had some

influence over some other human life. We influence more by example than by

words. If we say one thing and act another, we shall find our actions

speaking more loudly than our words. If we love God with all our hearts,

that love will influence another to love him. Never was love lost. The

love you have, O child of God, will find its way into some other life

sometime, somewhere. The more of God's love is beaming out of our heart

and life, the greater will be our influence upon others. Then may we love

him with all the heart. We should be filled with the Spirit. If we are

spiritual, we cause those we converse with to desire to be more spiritual.

We should be full of faith that our strong faith may help others to have

more faith. We should like for others to be such an example to us; and as

we would that men should do to us, let us do to them.



It is a very great source of regret, indeed, to be so destitute of love,

faith, and spirituality that we discourage and dampen the ardor of those

into whose presence we may be for a time. Be your very best for God every

day of your life and wield a holy influence over the hearts of men. The

very greatest benefit we can be to man and the highest homage we can pay

to God is to be filled with all the fulness of God.



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