Compiled And Edited By Rev. Bill McGinnis
Public Domain
HTML version of this page is located at =>
http://www.internetchurchofchrist.org/the21.html
1. "LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF."
("Be as interested in the other person's happiness and well-being as you
are in your own.")
This is "The Law Of Love," God's most important commandment for all
mankind.
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For the whole law is fulfilled in one word, "You shall love your
neighbor as yourself." (Galatians 5:14 RSV)
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This is the starting point, the Scriptural Imperative given many times in
the Bible. (See also Matthew 22:39, Mark 12:31, Luke 10:27, Romans
13:8-10, James 2:8, 1
Peter 4:8.)
And who is our neighbor? Every other person is our neighbor. (See Luke
10:29-37 for Jesus' answer to that same question.)
But sometimes, no matter how hard we try, we still don't like the other
person very much, or we still feel anger or resentment. What can we do in
cases like this ?
2. FORGIVE THE OTHER PERSON.
The most troublesome harmful emotion is the emotion of anger. You can
neutralize anger by making a direct conscious decision to forgive the
other person for
whatever he may have done to cause you to feel anger toward him. ("As you
forgive, so you will be forgiven." See Matthew 6:14-15)
A method for how to do this is at =>
http://www.loveallpeople.org/pearl-howtoforgiveotherpeople.html
3. TREAT THE OTHER PERSON THE WAY YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE TREATED.
This the "The Golden Rule," our most important guideline for dealing with
other people.
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"So whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them; for
this is the law and the prophets." (Matthew 7:12 RSV)
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This is the most important rule in human relationships. You can apply this
rule to almost any situation, and you will not be far wrong. The Golden
Rule puts The Law
Of Love into action. More about The Golden Rule at
http://www.loveallpeople.org/golden.html and
http://www.loveallpeople.org/goldenrulesolutions.html
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The remaining eighteen ideas are specific applications of The Golden Rule
to different kinds of situations.
4. SMILE AND BE FRIENDLY.
You like it when people smile at you and behave in a friendly way. So do
the same to them.
5. BE COURTEOUS.
You like it when people are courteous to you. And you dislike it when
people are discourteous or rude to you. So be courteous in all of your
dealings with others.
6. BE TRUTHFUL, WITHOUT GIVING OFFENSE.
7. REMEMBER THE OTHER PERSON'S NAME, AND USE IT FREQUENTLY.
You like it when other people remember and use your name. So do the same
for them.
8. DON'T ARGUE.
Arguments are very negative. They poison good human relationships. You
don't like it when someone argues with you. So don't argue with them. And
if you see an
argument coming, take the appropriate steps to neutralize the argument
before it causes too much damage.
9. FIND AREAS OF AGREEMENT.
Relationships are much better when both people focus on their areas of
agreement rather than their areas of disagreement.
Most people agree on more things than they disagree on. So if you focus on
your areas of agreement with the other person, your areas of disagreement
will seem
smaller and less important.
10. DON'T CRITICIZE.
Criticism builds hostility and bad attitudes. Criticism is poison to good
human relationships.
You don't like to be criticized; so don't criticize other people. They
don't like it, either. And you won't help accomplish anything good by
criticizing.
As your mother should have taught you, "If you can't say something nice,
don't say anything at all."
11. SHOW HONEST APPRECIATION.
You like it when other people take the time and interest to recognize and
appreciate the good things you do. So do the same for them. Everyone does
some things
worthy of appreciation. Find them, and recognize them in the other person.
12. TRY TO SEE THE OTHER PERSON'S POINT OF VIEW.
You like it when the other person understands your point of view and can
see problems the way you see them. So do the same for him. Try looking at
the situation
from the other person's point of view.
13. GIVE YOUR FULL ATTENTION TO THE OTHER PERSON WHEN HE IS TALKING.
You like it when people pay full attention to you when you are talking. So
do the same for them.
14. TALK ABOUT THE OTHER PERSON'S INTERESTS.
You like to have other people talk with you about your interests. So do
the same for them. Find out what things they are interested in, and steer
the conversation
toward these things.
15. ADMIT YOU MAY BE WRONG.
This idea is surprisingly powerful and useful!
Here's what to say, whenever there is a disagreement as to a matter of
fact: "Now, I may be wrong about this. I frequently am wrong about things.
But this is the
way it appears to me:" (And then state your beliefs.)
By admitting you may be wrong, and by admitting that you frequently are
wrong (You are, you know. We all are.), you almost force the other person
to admit that he,
too, may be wrong! Then, with your egos out of the way, you can both
search objectively for the truth!
And if you really are wrong this time, it will be much less embarrassing
for you than if you had been stubbornly insisting that you were totally
right!
16. LET THE OTHER PERSON DO MOST OF THE TALKING.
You like it when people let you do most of the talking. So do the same for
them. It won't hurt you, and you might learn something.
17. LET THE OTHER PERSON TALK ABOUT HIMSELF.
You like to talk about yourself, don't you? We all like to talk about
ourselves! But restrain the urge, and let the other person talk about
himself, instead.
18. LET THE OTHER PERSON TAKE SOME CREDIT.
If something has worked out well, don't grab all the credit for yourself,
even if you think you deserve it all. Spread the credit around, share it
with the other
people involved.
19. LET THE OTHER PERSON SAVE FACE.
The expression "saving face" means to maintain dignity, or not to look
like an idiot or a worthless person. Sometimes people do things which make
them look like an
idiot or a worthless person. If you can rescue the other person in such a
situation, and help him maintain his dignity, you have done a very good
thing.
And maybe someone will do the same for you some day, when you need it
most! "As you do, so shall it be done unto you."
20. HOLD THE OTHER PERSON, AND YOURSELF, TO HIGH AND NOBLE STANDARDS.
People tend to live up to the expectations others have of them. If you
expect a lot from someone, he tends to give you what you expect. Likewise,
if you expect
little from someone, that is what you tend to get.
So act honestly, and expect honesty from the other person; act morally,
and expect morality from the other person; act fairly, and expect fairness
from the other
person.
21. GO THE EXTRA MILE.
You are pleasantly surprised when other people do more for you than you
had asked, or more than you expect. So do the same for them: "Go the extra
mile."
* * *
FREE SOFTWARE!
These same twenty-one ideas are taught in a Computer-Assisted Instruction
(CAI) course I wrote a few years ago, using my Study Hall - CAI
course-authoring software,
which is free and in the Public Domain. You can download this brief course
here => http://www.patriot.net/users/bmcgin/21ideas4.zip . The Study Hall
- CAI software
is located at http://www.loveallpeople.org/studyhall-cai.html .
Blessings to you. May God help us all.
Rev. Bill McGinnis, Director - LoveAllPeople.org
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