We are all looking for a real friend, someone who will love us and support us both in our good and bad times. But seriously, who wants to be a friend to someone who only remembers you when they need something from you? I think we all wouldn't want to be taken for granted.
And so we need to learn one very important thing: We must learn to treat others the way we want to be treated.
A Key Ingredient
As followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, we are told to love our neighbours as ourselves. Applied to our relationships, this means many things. For one, it simply means treating others the same way we want to be treated. If we want to be respected, then we will respect others. If we want to be loved, then we must be loving.
The Bible tells us, "Do unto others as you would have others do unto you" (Luke 6:31 MEV). This is a very important thing to understand. We can't expect to be treated like royalty if we treat others likes slaves. No. The Lord Jesus Himself said,
"Whoever would be great among you, let him serve you, and whoever would be first among you, let him be your slave, even as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many." (see Matthew 20:26-28)
That, my friends, is how it works in God's Kingdom. If we want to be great, we will serve. If we want honour, then we will be honourable.
Qualities To Grow
Knowing this, we should learn to grow or develop these three qualities in us. These are very basic, but the more we develop them in us, the more we can do better at loving others the same way we love ourselves.
1. Loving-kindness
Everybody wants to be loved, right? I'm pretty sure that you want that, too. What better way to receive the love we long for than to be loving ourselves?
Look back to the people you consider to be loving. These people probably did something nice or meaningful to you, and you remember them for that. You remember them for the love they gave. Learn to give love, too.
2. Gracious
We all fail sometimes, right? If you fail at something, would you want others to bash you for failing, or would you rather have someone encourage you, put their faith in God's work in you, and cheer you on as you get up? I'm pretty sure you'd want the latter.
3. Humility
Humility allows us to see beyond our own selfishness. Pride always goes before a fall, but humility exalts. Humility allows us to see another person's need or problem, and helps us to act accordingly. In other words, being humble helps us see our neighbour and respond to them the right way. And when we do that, they respond accordingly, too.
