The Golden Rule

I can't even remember the amount of times my dad told me to use the Golden Rule (Do unto others as you want others to do unto you)...I can still hear him saying it to me now as I think back to fights my sister and I got into and rude words that were exchanged. However, as much as I mimicked and fought the system, he was right. The Golden Rule is one that has been passed down for years and it makes a lot of sense. Treat others the way that you want to be treated--while this can be very difficult at times, it is worth the effort. Tonight I had the opportunity to meet up with a few friends that I have been blessed with the chance of knowing over the past few years. They have always encouraged me in my faith and I absolutely love the meaningful and intentional conversations we have when we are together. As we were discussing ways that we wanted to grow and goals that we had for ourselves, I summed mine up into one broad statement. I want to love others the best way that I can every single day. It is so easy to get caught up in our own lives and not concern ourselves with others, however, what joy does this bring to us? A petty, temporary self-satisfaction that does not go beyond our own selfish motives? I want to change this. I want to look for ways on a daily basis to reach out to those around me and love them. This can be a daunting task considering I have surrounded myself with many people that I care deeply about, but this is meant to be a challenge. I want to support my friends in what is important to them. I want to give to something bigger than myself. I want to offer words of encouragement to a friend that is struggling. I want to listen to a friend that needs it. I want to send a letter to someone I love, putting into words how much I care about them. All of these things will take time, but it is all about how I use the time in the day that God has given me. I want to love others. Period. God calls us to love one another and I want to do just that. I am going to change up the Golden Rule...I think it should say, "Love others the way you want to be loved". Think of how you can make someone's day every single day. Love them for who they are without placing judgement on them. Become selfless and look for ways to support those around you. The love that you spread will come right back around and I guarantee the feeling will be incredible.