Thought for the week: Treat others the same way you want them to treat you
About a month ago I went to a self-check-out in my local supermarket, only to find that the previous customer had left their bank card in the payment machine. So, I simply took it to the customer service desk and then returned to buy my few items.
But a couple of weeks ago I did exactly the same thing as that customer. I left my bank card in the payment machine and wandered out of the store. An hour later, I realised what I had done, rushed back to the supermarket, went to customer services and within 30 seconds was happily reunited with my bank card, although I did feel very stupid!
In its own way, the two episodes were a simple outworking of a well-known saying of Jesus: 'Treat others the same way you want them to treat you'.
It is a principle that can be worked out in many situations. Someone is in distress, so spend time with them even if it is a bit inconvenient at the time. You, of course, might need time spent with you one day. Someone needs a helping hand – offer it, and maybe you will get the help you need in due course.
Jesus wasn’t suggesting the attitude of "I’ll treat you well so that I’ll be treated well in return". No. He said that we should treat others well, simply because it is the right thing to do. It’s not to seek a reward; not a ‘do-good’ tit-for-tat; but in a healthy society that is what will happen. People will have time for, and will help other people as the need arises.
That is one of the reasons why busyness can often be a huge problem. The story of the Good Samaritan makes it clear that people, and their needs, must come before busyness. The Good Samaritan readily invested both time and money in the man who had been beaten up by robbers.
When we try to cram more and more into the day, the opportunity to treat others properly simply isn’t there.
A few years ago, a best-selling book was written entitled ‘The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry’.
We live in a culture of constant haste, where the only way to keep up with our diaries or endless to-do lists is by hurrying. And that almost inevitably means that there is less and less room for God, less scope for prayer, less opportunity for thinking; and less time for other people, especially those in need.
Even though I am retired, I still find it a real struggle at times to put first things first, and not simply respond to the pressure of the latest enquiry or message or email.
Busyness is the enemy of treating others the same way you would want them to treat you. And I need to face that enemy down day and daily, even though it is often inconvenient too!