Finally getting the message

Several years ago, the phrase "What would Jesus do?" blazed through the Christian community, appearing on T-shirts, stickers, bracelets, and anything else manufacturers could think of. We plastered ourselves and our belongings with "WWJD" until we got sick of it. Did it do us any good?

Long after the craze ended, we still find ourselves struggling with tough issues, often resolving the problem by simply following our gut feelings and the way we think it ought to be. We’re beginning to ask ourselves whether the message on our hats ever got through to our heads.

What would happen if we actually made decisions based on what Jesus would do in a particular situation? Of course, this would require us to know what Jesus did while He was on earth in order for us to be able to follow His example.

Fortunately, we have four records of His life, all written by His faithful contemporaries. In fact, most of us probably have several copies of these records, conveniently translated with various wordings, and accompanied by study guides and commentaries, sitting on our shelves just waiting to change our lives. We can’t know what Jesus would do until we read about what He has already done.

WWJD obviously does not give us permission to overturn tables in any temple marketplace, though. One must use caution with the application of this concept. Since we don’t have the omniscience of hearts and minds that Jesus had, our opportunities for such bold actions are somewhat limited; but we can nonetheless learn from the principles of His behavior.

Most Christians no longer sport the WWJD logo on their clothes, but we can still bear the idea in our minds. If we really consider what Jesus would have us do as we make decisions, there is an opportunity for a revolutionary change in the way we act and think, the words we speak, and how we spend our time. Maybe we as Christians will finally conduct ourselves in a way that is worthy of the name we bear.