Revisiting the Golden Rule

Most of us know the Golden Rule from Matthew 7: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Sounds good on paper.

I read that verse again today, in the English Standard Version (ESV--and the version of the Bible I'm currently using):

12"So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

Somehow the different wording made me stop and think more about this verse. Do I really do this? Or am I more likely to reverse the command, and do to others what they have done to me? If they are unfriendly, well, then, I have permission to be unfriendly. If they speak rudely to me, I can speak rudely back. If they hurt me, I can hurt them--or just ignore them.

What am I really supposed to be aiming for? Since I wish that people would be friendly and initiate with me, then I need to say "hi" and invite them to activities. I would like to be treated kindly, so when I am on the phone with CenturyLink or Charter or whatever cable company/phone service, I need to treat the representative kindly (a big struggle for me) and not get snippy with them. I have hurt people and am grateful for grace and forgiveness; thus I must give it.

It always seems to come back to the basics--love God and love others because we have been loved so much and forgiven so much by God.