ON THE VANGUARD

W.W.J.D.
“So imitate God, as his dear children…”
Ephesians 5:1

It was in 1897 that Charles M. Sheldon wrote the book, In His Steps. At its time, the book began to change the world of its readers, forcing them to question with the characters, what would Jesus do? One hundred years later the book made its second run and the phenomenon of W.W.J.D., complete with bracelets, songs, and chats, was birthed. Now while I in no way am able to force you to read this book, I do hope that in the next few days I can encourage you to live according to the ways Jesus would.
In John 5:19, Jesus spoke that He did only as He saw His Father doing. “…Whatever the Father does, the Son does too.” In Ephesians 5:1, Paul then encourages us to do likewise and follow in the ways that we see the Father doing as well. So then in order for us to do what Jesus would do, we need to seek Him and ask Him what He would do. I know this principle goes a little off course in some circles, but this is the path to blessing. Consider this, Jesus is the standard, not the exception. Therefore His ways are the ways we should follow instead of avoid.
And consider also the fact that our previous timeline in God’s kingdom doesn’t prove we know what we are doing. What I mean by this is that just because we may have been raised in the church doesn’t mean that every action we do is right. Look at Isaiah 56:1-2 as an example. The passage starts out stating to observe justice and do what is right. Then in verse 2 it tells us one of the things that is right according to God, which is the keeping of the Sabbath. When was the last time you kept the Sabbath? Guess what, I’m Jewish and I still struggle with keeping the Sabbath correctly. The Sabbath is supposed to be a day of rest and recollection of the awesomeness of God, yet I find myself struggling to keep from using it to get my week’s grocery shopping done. So then if I ask myself the question of what would Jesus do on the Sabbath, I am pretty sure I would not hear Him answer, “Go shopping.” I would hear Him answer to reflect on Him, study His Word, and bathe in His presence. That is what Jesus did.
To imitate God in a world and time that seems to be so far from knowing God’s true will takes us asking Him exactly what it is He wants us to do. We are to measure ourselves based on His Word, get back to His statutes, and perform according to His morals. But in a time when even “Christians” are giving over to premarital sex, affairs, drunkenness, pride, and idol worship, I venture to say we have no idea what it means to be a God-follower. Quite honestly, I am sick of this being the way my life goes. I am sick of saying one thing and living another. Jesus did what He saw the Father do. Jesus lived out love, lived out obedience, and lived out the morals and standards that His Father put in place. That is the life I want to live going forward. And that is the life we are all encouraged to live based on Ephesians 5:10. It is time to return to what pleases Him.
I am doing an experiment for the next month, and you are welcome to join me. I have already decided, not based on Sheldon’s book, but re-encouraged by his book, to ask daily and situationally what Jesus would do. Doing what Jesus would do will not make me popular, nor will it make me even liked in many cases. I am prepared for this. But it will make me think and change my ways if I allow it. Should you come along, I cannot tell you what Jesus would counsel you in your position, nor can you in mine. Yet be sure that we each will have a cross to bear in this decision. Many will take this challenge and soon give up. Some will last a week; a few of you maybe the month. Jesus lived this as a lifestyle, not a fad. I pray that you will be one who embraces the question of what would Jesus do.