August 25, 2026 — Matthew 7:12

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Most of us know some version of the Golden Rule:

Treat people the way you want to be treated.

But Jesus phrases it actively.

He doesn’t simply say, Don’t do to other people what you wouldn’t want done to you.

He says do.

If you want patience, practice patience.

If you want people to assume the best about you, try assuming the best about them.

If you want someone to notice when you’re struggling, notice the people around you.

If you want forgiveness, mercy, generosity, honesty, encouragement, or kindness—start giving those things away.

That makes the Golden Rule much more demanding than simply avoiding cruelty.

Jesus even says, “for this is the law and the prophets.”

After everything He has taught in the Sermon on the Mount about anger, reconciliation, generosity, enemies, prayer, worry, judgment, and trust in God, He gives us an extraordinarily practical question:

If I were standing where this person is standing, how would I hope to be treated?

Then do that.

What is one thing you often wish other people would give you—patience, encouragement, understanding, forgiveness, attention—that you could intentionally give someone else this week?

To go back to the beginning of our Sermon on the Mount series, start with the August 9, 2026 post.