Are You Following the Golden Rule?
Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
Matthew 7:12
Luke 6:31
LESSON LIFESAVER Activity
Doing Good Unto Others golden ruler
OBJECTIVE: The lesson helps children respect other people and their possessions.
GOLDEN RULER:
– Be kind
– Share with others
– Respect others’ property
– Return borrowed things
– Help others
TO MAKE Print or copy, color, and cut out the visual for each child on cardstock paper. Tape or glue part B to the bottom of part A where indicated and laminate.
ACTIVITY:
Golden Ruler
This ruler can help children learn ways to do good unto others as they follow the Golden Rule: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you,” found in Matthew 7:12, and Luke 6:31.
THOUGHT TREAT: Golden Ruler Wafer Cookies. Purchase ruler-shaped yellow wafer cookies. Tell children that they will be happy when they follow the Golden Rule written on the Golden Ruler handout.
DISCUSSION POINTS (Scriptures, Jesus Christ)
• A possession is something that belongs to you, such as a toy, money, an article of clothing, or a book. A prized possession would be something that you especially like or value. A prized possession does not necessarily cost a lot of money. It may cost little but have special meaning because of the place it came from or the person who gave it to you.
• We should always respect other people and their possessions.
• Think of something you have that is very special to you. How would you feel if someone, without asking, borrowed this possession, took it, or destroyed it?
• If someone borrowed your prized possession, how would you want that person to treat it?
• If you were to lose your prized possession, what would you want the person who found it to do?
• We all want others to treat our prized possessions with care and respect. Other people also have possessions that are important to them, and they want us to treat their special possessions with care and respect.
• Jesus Christ taught us how to treat other people and their possessions. We can find Jesus Christ’s teachings about this in the scriptures. Have children listen as you read Matthew 7:12, ending with the phrase “to them” as follows “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.”
• We should treat other people the way we would like them to treat us. Sometimes this is called the Golden Rule and is stated simply, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”
• Treating other people the way we would like to be treated includes respecting their possessions the same way we would like them to respect our personal things.
• God has commanded us to respect other people and their possessions. Let’s read Exodus 20:15 together. Can you explain what it means? “Thou shalt not steal.”
God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, have commanded us not to steal. The laws of our country also tell us that it is wrong to steal from others. As followers of Jesus Christ, we believe in obeying these laws as well as the commandments of God.
• Have you ever had an experience where you received too much change back when you purchased something? What would you do? Do you have experiences you would like to share?
• Thought questions: If you were to lose possession of something, what would you want the person who found it to do? What would you do if you found something that did not belong to you? How would you feel if someone damaged or destroyed one of your possessions on purpose? We should always try to return to the owner any lost property or possessions we find.
• We should never purposely damage or misuse other people’s possessions. Show a precious possession and show the children how to handle it carefully. Pass it around so the children can practice handling it carefully.
• Here are more ways we can show respect for others and their possessions and property.
1. Not walking on other people’s lawns or playing in their yards without permission (or letting our pets do the same).
2. Not doing things that destroy or ruin property, such as writing or drawing on walls or fences.
3. Playing carefully with games and toys.
4. Not using something that does not belong to us without asking.
5. Not purposely breaking or damaging property.
• Jesus Christ taught that we should treat others the way we would like to be treated. If we follow the teachings of Jesus Christ, we will:
#1 Not take things that belong to others.
#2 We will return things that we find to the owners.
#3 We will treat borrowed items with respect by not destroying or damaging them.
Remember the commandment given by Jesus Christ that is sometimes called the Golden Rule, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”
BIBLE SCRIPTURES TO UNDERLINE:
Note: Children and youth can use the ruler (above) as a straight edge to underline scriptures. Quote Matthew 7:13-14 about the “strait” and “narrow” path that leads to heaven as they use the straight edge of the ruler.
Matthew 7:13 “Enter ye in at the strait gate.”
Matthew 7:20 “By their fruits ye shall know them.”
Deuteronomy 12:28 “Observe and hear all these words which I command thee, that it may go well with thee, and with thy children after thee for ever, when thou doest that which is good and right in the sight of the Lord thy God.”
Psalm 34:14 “Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.”
Proverbs 13:21 “Evil pursueth sinners: but to the righteous good shall be repayed.”
Ecclesiastes 7:1 “A good name is better than precious ointment; and the day of death than the day of one’s birth.”
Isaiah 7:15 ” Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to refuse the evil, and choose the good.”
Matthew 7:12 “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.”
Luke 6:31 “And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.”