What Would Jesus Do?

When I was in middle school I remember the “WWJD?” craze that swept the nation. I had several different bracelets which bore the famous four letters, my friends had them blazoned on everything from t-shirts to Bible covers, and it seemed every car in the church parking lot posed the question on their bumpers. Professional athletes, including many whose walk and talk looked nothing like Jesus, displayed their WWJD? attire.

While the movement was big in the 90’s it actually began in ’96. 1896. Pastor Charles Sheldon began a Sunday night series in which he wrote a fictional story about people who applied the simple question to their daily lives. He started reading one chapter a week as a challenge to his church, and the local newspaper was soon publishing his weekly chapter. In the end the story was so popular that Sheldon’s congregation exploded in growth as people wanted to hear what was going to happen next.

The story Sheldon told centered on a pastor in a town called Raymond; the pastor challenged his congregants to devote one year to asking themselves What would Jesus do? before making any decisions. Church members began to change Raymond for the better as they became convicted of their spending habits, their luxurious living, the compromises made at work, and their wholesale ignoring of those people in the slums of Raymond in an area called The Rectangle. Asking themselves that simple question opened their eyes to the fact that they were worshipping God on Sundays, but giving Him little thought the other six days of the week.

Sheldon’s story was soon published as In His Steps: What Would Jesus Do? The book stands as one of the best selling books of all time at fifty million copies sold.

I would challenge you to make that pledge. Ask yourself What Would Jesus Do? Don’t do anything that He wouldn’t do. Do the things you believe He would do. That challenge may lead you to change your business practices, break off a relationship, spend your money differently, or roll up your sleeves and minister to “the least.” What ever it looks like, if Jesus would do it, we should too.

For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.

2 Peter 2:21