It is nearly impossible to read the Bible without seeing that God cares about how we treat others. It mattered to God how Cain treated Abel, how Abraham treated Lot, how the Israelites treated the surrounding nations, and especially those in need.
In the New Testament, Jesus reaffirms and builds on this idea when He says, “In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you” (Matthew 7:12).
Instead of giving very specific instructions for every potential circumstance we might or might not encounter, He teaches us to treat others the way we want to be treated.
All of us want to be treated with kindness. Sometimes, we might rationalize being short or rude to others, but “in everything,” we must treat others with kindness. Regardless of our busy schedules or important to-do lists, how we treat others matters to God.
All of us want to be treated with love. To love others is to care about them. We should care about the physical and spiritual needs of the people around us. It may be easy to assume that others would not be receptive or appreciative of our love, but how we treat others matters to God.
All of us want to be treated with mercy. We will surely appreciate God’s mercy when He examines our lives and judges our faithfulness. In the same way, we should be merciful toward others. We should not be keeping a tally of everyone else’s wrongs but should be looking for the
opportunity to forgive mercifully.
Matt Langfield