Do No Harm
The first of the three simple rules is “do not harm.” Rueben Job writes, “When we agree that we will not harm those with whom we disagree, conversation, dialogue, and discovery of new insight become possible.”
When we “do harm”, it tends to be towards those we might classify as enemies. Yet, there are moments when we “do harm” to those whom we’re closest to…friends, family, loved ones.
When I think of doing harm, I think of my words and deeds. There are times when the harm I do is a harsh word. There are times when the harm I do is failing to help those around me with needs I can address. There are times when the harm I do is being careless with the things God has given me (work, family, friends, this world, my possessions, etc).
I believe doing no harm starts with having a proper perspective. We need to view all people as those created in God’s image…we need to remember that all people are loved by God. It’s a lot harder to speak harshly to someone when we realize that they were wonderfully made in God’s image.
We also need to remember that all we have is a result of God’s blessing in our lives (wow…that sort of sounds prosperity gospel-ish). We tend to be less careless with our stuff when we realize that it’s all God’s to begin with.
This idea of doing no harm should not be limited to those we love. It should also be extended to our enemies (because I’m pretty sure Jesus said something about loving them). Job writes, “When I am determined to do no harm to you, I lose my fear of you; and I am able to see you and hear you more clearly.” I wonder what would happen if our nations department of defense followed rule number one?
When I focus on doing no harm, I find my conversations with others much more fruitful. When another person makes a comment I disagree with, I try to not fight back with my agenda. I try to let my conversations and interactions with others be filled with love, grace, mercy, patience, kindness, and even tolerance.
This first rule, “do no harm” sounds so simple…so easy. Yet, I find that each new day it gets more complicated because it begins to penetrate further into my life. At first, I only wanted to apply it to my words. Then it fell into my actions. Now it’s consuming my words, actions, and my failure to speak up when necessary, and my failure to act when necessary.
Yet, I’m convinced…if I can begin to get a grasp on doing no harm to those around me, I’ll find rule number two much easier. More on that later.