Do Unto Others

I had a very very good conversation yesterday with someone struggling with the whole community/interdependence aspect of Christianity.  This is an issue that I understand intensely.  It is so so difficult to trust people and let down defenses when, let's be real, you have to know that they are going to let you down, hurt you, reject you... at some point anyway.  That's life.  I mean if I'm really honest, I have to admit I have done that/will do that to my friends too.  We're people and we fail. 


BUT


If you choose to keep those walls up.  If you make the decision to not let others in.  If you determine to hold your gifts and talents and efforts close to you, and not reach out in Christian community to the rest of the body of Jesus... You're not just depriving yourself of the friendship you think you don't want anyway... You're not just "showing them" that you can do fine on your own and that you don't need anybody... There is a bigger issue here.


If you make the decision to live outside of Christian community, the world has no chance of seeing the full picture of who Jesus is.


Let me say that again in a different way.  


If you live your life in self-protection, you prevent The Church from fulfilling our most important mission.  


We are all familiar with the "golden rule": Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.


I think a lot of times, we are so completely obsessed with the "as you would have them do unto you" part, that we forget about the whole point of the scripture... The "do unto others" part.


Do you want to be accepted?  Accept others.
Do you want to be praised?  Encourage others.
Do you want to be shown tenderness?  Be affectionate to others.
Do you want to be respected?  Be respectful to others.


This is not rocket science folks.  And some of these are easier than others.  What happens when you get to things like:


Do you want people to be honest with you?
Do you want to be put first?
Do you appreciate generosity?
How about authenticity?


Yeah.  That's tough.  


I think the challenge here is this:  When you start feeling slighted or like something is unjust or that you're being treated unfairly (not doing unto you what you would like them to do unto you!)... Ask yourself "Am I treating them the way I want to be treated?"  Am I being the kind of friend I so desperately want and need in my own life?  Yes this is kind of Kindergarten Christianity... but don't we need to be reminded?  I know I do!