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Apples of Gold
Radio Script for October 26, 2010
“Make This a Foundation for Your Thinking”
Hello, I’m Doug Apple…with Apples of Gold.
“I’m going to build up my business, then sell it for a high price right when it is at its peak.”
“Would you tell them it was at its peak?”
“No, why would I tell them that?”
“Would you want to know if some business you were buying was at its peak, that it was downhill from here?”
“I guess.”
“Then that is why you would tell them. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”
That’s a real conversation I had with a man, and I hope he takes my advice to heart.
It’s not my advice, of course. It’s something Jesus said in both Luke and Matthew. Matthew 7:12 says, “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.”
Have you ever read the Law and the Prophets? That’s pretty much the Old Testament. It’s really long, and there’s a lot to remember, so when Jesus said He had a simple summary, my ears perked up. “You’re going to boil it all down into one sentence that’s easy to remember? Great! I want to hear it.”
And that was it. In everything you do, do to others as you would have them do to you. That sums up the Law and the Prophets.
A lot of people call this the Golden Rule. There are a lot of rules in life, but this is the golden rule.
Do you apply this in your life? I think of it a lot. I can’t say it’s always my knee-jerk reaction, which is why I prefer not to react. I like situations where I’m allowed to think about it. Then I often end up considering the Golden Rule.
Jesus gave the Golden Rule in Luke 6:31, but rewind back to verse 27. There He says, “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you…”
What? That’s crazy talk, isn’t it? Do good to those who hate me? Why would I do that?
Because of the Golden Rule. Do you want others to do good to you? Do you want those who hate you to do good to you? Then do good to them.
It is interesting to apply the Golden Rule to business because it can really change the way you operate. What would I want if I was a customer of this business? How would I want to be treated if I was calling in?
My son sold his car recently and I was so proud of him. I was there when he was talking to the guy, and he told him all the things wrong with it. He could have been coy. He could have said, “Well, here it is, take it or leave it.”
Is that what you want when you buy a car from someone? Do you want them to cover up its flaws? Do you want to pay your money and end up with disappointing surprises?
I don’t, and you probably don’t either. So when you sell something, tell them what you would want to know if you were in their shoes. That’s the Golden Rule.
My son did it, and he sold the car anyway. Why? Because the price fit the product. It was a less-than-perfect car at a less-than-perfect price.
Now think about this. These things tend to have a domino effect. How you treat this guy will influence how he treats the next guy, and so on. Get enough of that going and pretty soon the whole town is a different place, a better place.
Maybe you haven’t thought about the Golden Rule for a while. If not, let it become a cornerstone of your thinking. It may not answer every question or solve every problem, but it will go a long way toward guiding you to do the best you can.
And it’s a God-rule. It’s not a man-made self-help truism. It wasn’t dreamed up by Ben Franklin or Confucius or Donald Trump. It comes straight from our Creator, who knows how things were designed and knows how they work best. And things work best when we do unto others as we would have them do unto us.
You don’t want people to talk about you behind your back, so don’t talk about them behind their back.
You don’t want people to cheat you, so don’t cheat them.
If you want people to encourage you – encourage them.
If you want people to help you – help them.
If you want people to be honest and above board in business, and not cut any corners, then treat them that way.
How do you want your neighbor to treat you? Then that is how you should treat them.
The Golden Rule – it needs to be a foundation for our thinking, a filter for our decisions.
Before we do or say anything, we should consider these words of Jesus.
Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
Comments?
E-mail me: dougapple@wave94.com.
May God bless you today! With Apples of Gold…I’m Doug Apple.
© 2010 The Arrow’s Tip
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(Proverbs 25:11 – “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.”)
Why “The Arrow’s Tip”? Each morning, after diligently seeking the Lord, I write Apples of Gold. Then before I release it to the public I pray one final prayer, “Lord, send forth your arrows.” I envision Apples of Gold as arrows, tips dipped in the river of the water of life that flows from the throne of God (Rev. 22:1), sailing toward the hearts and minds of men and women around the world.
Doug Apple
General Manager - Wave 94
Christian Radio for Tallahassee
PO Box 4105
Tallahassee, FL 32315
(850) 926-8000
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