Jesus said in the Gospel of Luke:

~”Do to others as you would have them do to you.”~Luke 6:31, NIV~

When I read this verse from this Scripture of the Bible, I thought to myself at first, “Really, do I have to??” The answer to my own question is, yes, I have to, because Jesus said so (also, the words are in red in the Bible, so yes). This means I am not entitled to treat others as I want to treat them (even if they are not nice to me).

Jesus wants us, as followers of Christ, to treat others out of love. As followers of Christ, we are commanded to treat everyone as Jesus would. As followers of Christ, we are called to treat everyone (regardless of whether they are a believer or non-believer) to point them to Christ as a reflection of our actions.

~”Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.”~1 Corinthians 11:1, NIV~

At first, I questioned this because of ways that I have been treated in the past by former friends. Now that I have life experience that God allowed for me to walk through, I can say that Luke 6:31 is not just a calling: it’s a command of action from Almighty God for me to do and follow daily.

I remember when I got into an argument with friends that I knew from college. This escalated into greater conflict with friends that they knew, which grew tension in how I related to them and how they viewed me. While I choose to not give their names, I will say that this argument that I got into with them, as well as the escalated tension, changed how I viewed all of my friends.——and ultimately, how they viewed me. 

When you are young, you make stupid choices. Some of those choices, you reflect on (as you get older) whether or not they were good or bad. I pondered on the bad decision I made in how I treated my former friends. I am not the same person I was at 25 years old. I am different now that I am 26. I may not be the wisest, but I am smarter. God allowed me to fall flat on my face, hit rock-bottom, and learn from my mistakes. It does not matter how they treated me or what they said or did to hurt me. To God, it was a test and a learning experience for me as He refined me with His tough love (which is unconditional, because it grows us to be more Christ-like). To be Jesus is to live and do His Word as we live it while we do unto others as they do to us. 

~”Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.”~1 John 3:18, ESV~

I knew they did me wrong by not apologizing what they did to hurt me. In the world’s eyes, they did me wrong too. But to God, it was about making me kinder in order to make my heart softer and more tender for all kinds of people (good, bad, nice, or mean). Jesus loves me and wants the best for me and that best for me was for me to live and learn so that I do not repeat my past and make the same mistakes. So, I let these former friends go (all of them go), into the palm of God’s hand and allowed God to work on all of me as I let Him deal with them. 🙂

Since most of them chose to let me go without an explanation, I did what Christ would have done as His best for them: I let them go. Yes, it was very painful. It was very difficult. I let them go.———-all of them, and moved forward. I did not want to do this, but Jesus did say to do unto others as you would have them do to you.

I love them, but do not have to agree with their ways, even if they are not a reflection of Christ. Christ commands us to love others because God Himself is love to everyone. I was Jesus to them in that hard moment because I let them go to Father God so that He could work on them. I did what was best for me and I did this for God.

~”Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.”~1 John 4:8, ESV~

Jesus loves me, and this I definitely know, because He would rather for me to treat others with love, dignity, and respect, in order to win that person to Christ. It does not matter what he or she said, did, or how he or she treated me. What matters to God is my heart and its intentions as I choose to absolutely surrender to God’s will and not my own will.

~”O Lord, you have searched me and known me!”~Psalm 139:1, ESV~

To do to others is to treat them out of the fruits of the Holy Spirit of God: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. That is how others are led to Christ: by your fruits, as you put the fruits of Jesus Christ on display.

So now, I make it a point to love others well. Very well. And to be kind, compassionate, and caring to others, because that is what Jesus would have us to do.

And that is why I do unto others as Jesus would to them. 🙂 Now, I will close this blog post in a prayer in order to bless my former friends:

Dear God,

I thank You that You sent Your Son, Jesus Christ, to be my Rabbi and Teacher, and that I can learn from my mistakes, even at 26 years old. Thank You for giving my former friends grace. Thank You that You are a God of instruction and that You gave me the discernment to let all of my former friends go, into the palm of Your hand. I cannot trust every person who enters into my life because as humans, we are far from perfect and we sin. But, I do trust You. It is by Your grace that You gave me the strength to let my former friends go. People come and go for a reason and a season, as You ordain it to be in Your timing, but You always stay. I pray for my former friends and wish all manner of good for them. I wish them a good life and that they have learned from their mistakes too. I pray for good health, friends, family, and wish them well in all areas of life. I pray for them to enter this new stage of their lives with new and better friends as I have parted ways with them. I wish them to be free of all sins and of being selfish so that they live selfless lives for Jesus and no one else, besides Him. Thank You for the time I knew them and that they can say they met me and knew me as the example of Jesus Christ I was to them through my actions. I bless them: both richly and abundantly, in the name of Jesus Christ. I give You all of the glory, the honor, and the praise.

In Jesus’ Name,

Amen!  

Thank you for reading this blog post, dear reader. God bless you! ❤

~”So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”~John 8:36, NIV~