27th day of Lent

What are things that please God? I think that God is pleased when people treat other people just like they would like to be treated. However, this "Golden Rule" becomes a bit gray when I consider that there are times when how we would like to be treated is not the best for us. For example, if I want to be chief of the tribe, then do I want someone else to be chief too. There can only be one chief. Co-chiefs probably wouldn’t work. So to be chief must mean that I don’t want others to be chief. And let’s say I want to be the center of attention all the time. Is there room for others to be the center of attention as well as me? How big is the center where the attention lies? If it is too big, then my getting attention becomes less. So if I have this need to be the center of attention, then it must mean that I don’t want others to be the center of attention.

This causes the "Golden Rule" to break down significantly. But when I think that Jesus gave us this guide for our lives assuming the health of relationships being excellent, it makes more sense to me. Another example that comes to mind is the example of the promise of scripture that if we turn to God, then God will give us the "desires of our heart." But again, there is an assumption in this scripture. The assumption is that when one turns to God, God places the appropriate desires in our heart so that our heart and God’s heart become one. God does give us the desires of our heart, but it happens only as our hearts are changed.

I do think it pleases God to treat others like I want to be treated - in the healthiest of ways. I want to be treated kindly. I want to be loved. I want to be given the benefit of the doubt. I want to have the privilege to defend myself if I have hurt someone. I want to be happy. I want people to be patient with my humanness. I don’t want others to gossip about me. I want to be seen and heard as a legitimate human being. I want my opinion to count. And the list goes on.

This then is how I must treat others. I need to stay away from my insecurities and my fears because they tease me into treating others differently than I would desire them to treat me. I must acknowledge that there is no double standard - one for me and another for others. God loves me. But God also loves others - just as much as God loves me.

This is what I must do. This will please God.