My own vs our own

My own vs our own 

 "But Onan knew that the child wouldn't be his, so whenever he slept with his brother's widow he spilled his semen on the ground so he wouldn't produce a child for his brother. (Gen.38.9 MSB)

Growing up you hear people say "my own and our own' is not the same thing. I didn't understand it until much later. There is an adage that says, 'it is the other person's buttocks that tears the mat'. Meaning, when others want to sit on your mat, you refuse them saying you do not want the mat to be torn. 

That is the lesson in our text today. How we treat others versus how we treat ourselves. The Bible says Er, the firstborn of son of Judah offended God and he was killed (see Gen. 38.7) and then the onus fell on his brother Onan to raise a seed for Er but every time he slept with Er's widow - Tamar, he would spill his semen on the ground so he wouldn't produce a child for his brother. 

The only reason he spilled his semen is because he knows the child will not be his. 

How do we treat the matter when it does not directly affect us? Jesus says to do to others as you would have them do to you. Not as they have done for you but as you would have them do to you. 

"Here is a simple, rule-of-thumb guide for behavior: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you, then grab the initiative and do it for them. Add up God's Law and Prophets and this is what you get." (Matt.7.12) 

So the rule is not to do to them as they have done to you but as you would want them to do to you. Once you figure out what you want them to do, grab that same initiative and do it for them. This should blind us to the my own versus own slogan because everything becomes my own. Treat others as you would want them to treat you. 

Good day,
Have a great day today,
Emmanuel Okoro,
(aka Mr. Lift)

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