‘Do to others whatever you
would like them to do to you.’ Matthew 7:12
Try to slot yourself based on
one of these statements:
(a) I’m always ethical. (b) I’m
mostly ethical. (c) I’m somewhat ethical. (d) I’m seldom ethical. (e) I’m never
ethical.
Which slot do you fall into? If
we’re truthful, most of us would likely put ourselves in slot (b). Why? Because
of personal convenience. Think about it. Paying the price for success is
inconvenient. Putting others first is inconvenient. Practising personal
discipline is inconvenient. Risking confrontation is inconvenient. Most of us
think being ethical is fine - unless we’re on the losing end of somebody else’s
ethical lapse. But if you’re serious about establishing an ethical standard to
live by, you need look no further than the Golden Rule: ‘Do to others whatever
you would like them to do to you.’ And:
1) It brings peace and
self-worth. When all is said and done, you need to be able to live with
yourself because ‘wherever you go you take yourself with you’. If the only way
you can win is by cheating, you lose self-respect, fear being exposed, lack
confidence in approaching God, and your successes feel hollow.
2) It results in a win-win. Are
you the kind of person who thinks that in order for you to win, somebody else
must lose? That philosophy doesn’t work. When you treat other people the way
you want to be treated, they win; and when they reciprocate, you win. There are
no losers.
3) It’s easy to understand. You
simply put yourself in the other person’s shoes. That’s it! There are no
complicated rules and no loopholes.
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