“And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise” (Luke 6:31).

So said the Son of God, who was insulted, mocked, beaten, and crucified, even though He was totally without sin. He responded to His enemies with love as He spoke truth to them without fear or favor, as He wept over Jerusalem, and as He warned mourners on the way to Calvary. With a ready heart, He hung on the tree, praying, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do,” later forgiving the criminal who asked for mercy (Lk. 23:34). All these and more show us Jesus lived the “golden rule.”

Being mistreated does not give us the right to defame, mistreat, harm, or injure others. Respect for God our Father demands us to treat others as we wish others (and God) to treat us (Matt. 7:7-12). One thing we desperately need to stem the tide of disrespectful, angry, hateful, sinful treatment of others is respect for God. That will translate into respecting others.

The golden rule is not about retribution, but repair. It is not about hurting others before they hurt you. It is not about dominating others; it is about caring for and helping others. The world (system of evil that opposes God) does not operate by this rule. But Christians must because it is our Father’s world and our Father’s will (Matt. 7:21, 24-27).