Measuring up...

    I was preparing for the children's Sunday School lesson and the scripture was

 Matthew 7:12: So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets. (NIV)

     Getting lessons reading for the children reminds me so much of teaching pre-school, I learned so much teaching these young eager learners.  Anyone with an Early Childhood background knows that using positive language with children is the recommended method to get children to do something you want, for example:  "I need you to walk" versus" stop running".

     Up until now people had been told all that they should not be doing, Christ came as the ultimate pre-school teacher, showing us what to do. This one Golden Rule was so much easier to remember than the list of don'ts.  

      It is interesting and important to see our God as a God forever trying to teach us in new ways, Christ came to show us a new way, a way of measuring ourselves not by what we shouldn't do but rather by what we should do....and even more importantly, since I am not a big fan of the word "should” all that we can do when we see others as just as worthy of the treatment we desire.

     How much can we do when we live our lives in relationship to others in a positive manner?  Praying for our own basic needs to be met knowing that as we pray to be fed, housed, and loved we are praying for the same for others.  

    Praying for what we want can be more difficult than praying for what we DON'T want---when we ask ourselves what we want in our relationships, in our homes, in our churches, and in our world, it makes us focus and think. 

 It is easy to create a list of disposable ever changing list of "I don't wants” but to answer the question "What do you want?" "How do you want to be treated?" can be difficult---it takes time.  Try answering these questions without first saying "Well I don't want......". 

       When we can really answer these questions we take charge of our own lives we begin to move on a path that goes forward rather than backward.  As we get a firm grasp of what we want and how we want to be treated the resulting confidence, courage and joy give us the desire to extend that expectation and hope for all people.