w.w.j.d.
ever seen a necklace, bracelet, or book with these letters on it? ever been asked the question "what would Jesus do?"
when i was younger, i had a horrible temper. there was a point in my early life when i got into fights with kids of all ages over the tiniest things. needless to say, i got into an incredible amount of trouble for trying to beat kids up (i won out a good bit too...). adults and even some of my classmates would sometimes look me in the eyes after i'd gotten in a fight or tried some other crazy stunt, and ask me:
when i was younger, i had a horrible temper. there was a point in my early life when i got into fights with kids of all ages over the tiniest things. needless to say, i got into an incredible amount of trouble for trying to beat kids up (i won out a good bit too...). adults and even some of my classmates would sometimes look me in the eyes after i'd gotten in a fight or tried some other crazy stunt, and ask me:
"now daniel, what do you think Jesus would do? would he have hit that kid...?"
and i would anwer slowly...
"no..."
and then they would say
"now daniel, what should you do now?"
and i would say, with a heave and a long, drawn out sigh
"say i'm sorry..."
and the rest is history.
"no..."
and then they would say
"now daniel, what should you do now?"
and i would say, with a heave and a long, drawn out sigh
"say i'm sorry..."
and the rest is history.
i grew up with those words meaning that i should be sorry. even though my elders had a point when they told me that i needed to apologize, forgive, make amends, and ask forgiveness for what i'd done wrong, they also simultaneously made in me a disposition towards that phrase that wasn't altogether too attractive. the words, "what would Jesus do" were associated with apology and confrontation with guilt. not horrible things to do or think about, but, as i look back, their not at all what those words are really about.
the phrase "what would Jesus do?" comes from a book called "in His steps" written by a pastor from the 1890's named charles sheldon. the book is incredibly simple. it's a story about what happens when a single church community begins to ask "what would Jesus do?" before every action they take. the church members are normal middle and upper class members of society, they live ordinary middle and upper class lives.
they aren't altogether different from thousands upon thousands of christians in the churches of america today. some of them are talented, others are very simple. some have incredible wealth, others live more modest lives. they live comfortable lives, give money to charities, go to church regularly, sing in church choir, and some of them even preach on sunday. but they never really ask the question, what does it mean to be a disciple of Christ.
when they take up their pledge to stop simply being "christians" on sundays, and start following Christ in all He calls them to do, they can't escape the example Jesus set for them, or the words he spoke to the world concerning his followers:
"not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ -matthew 7:22-23
"23 Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me." -luke 9:23
as they ask the question, "what would Jesus do?" they come to realize just how much He sacrificed for them, and just how much His sacrifice demands that they do. it's not that they must do something to attain His forgiveness, His faith, or His love. it's that once they realize His forgiveness, inherit His faith, and receive His love, they recognize the change it instantaneously brings about in their lives. they cannot be appeased by temporary happiness or material wealth; they desperately desire eternal beauty and heavenly treasures. they can no longer sit by and watch humanity tear itself apart, they must fight, struggle, and sacrifice all they have to save whatever and whoever they can. they suffer financial destruction, social isolation, they give up their life dreams, they are estranged by their own families, and are forced to live in the very places they fear the most. and through it all, God's love sustains them.
people in our world want a how to guide to better relationships, stronger friendships, healthier lifestyle, and inner peace. they want ten simple steps to get whatever they desire. contrary to what a lot of people seem to be saying, Jesus never gave us any of that.
the majority of Jesus' talks were filled with examples, metaphors, similes, and short, powerful statements. the majority of the times He actually said to do or not do something, it was almost always straight out of the old testament. the few times He ever gave a command that was original, it was always in response to how God treats us.
Jesus never gave us a system of how we are supposed to live this life. He gave us His life instead. He's the perfect example of what life looks like when God is allowed to do exactly what He does best in our lives in the most extreme way: share His love with us. even better, He is our connection to the Father. because of Him, we have freedom to touch the God of the universe!
so, only two questions remain. they are incredibly simple to answer, and absolutely terribly in their implications.
these questions are so terrible because they get down to the heart of everything we do. are we really living for the God we claim to know? better yet, are we who and what we claim to be? the word christian itself means Christ-follower. are we really doing things like He did?
"3 We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. 4 Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. 5 But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: 6 Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did." - 1 john 2:3-6
i was once asked the question "if God is so good, why does He let bad things happen?"
that question is easy enough to answer. if God really loves us, He has to allow for us to do what we want to, even if it means hurting ourselves or those around us. and He has to make sure that He never forces us to believe Him, even if it means we suffer through this life never knowing just how radical His love for us is. He has to allow for bad things to happen to us, even if they are avoidable. because He has to give us freedom to choose who we want to be and whether we want to love Him. if He doesn't, He can't also be a God of love. He won't be loving, merciful, gracious, or good.
the question i cannot answer so easily is why are these horrible things never fixed in a world filled with so many people claiming to be christians? why, if we are the salt of the earth and the light of the world, do we seem to be so comfortable with the way the world is? Jesus fought for the lonely and afraid. He spent time with tax-collectors and sinners. He gave up all His glory to save a broken race that hated Him.
i look around me, and wherever i go, no matter where i am, i see suffering. from the rich party boy who suffers from extreme insecurity and lack of purpose, to the outcast dying inside from loneliness, to the over-achiever desperate to find relief from the pressures put on her at the slightest hint that she might not be perfect, to the poor boy in the projects who never grew up with a dad, to the starving orphan in africa hanging on to life by a thread. no matter what school, town, state, or nation i go to, suffering humanity is everywhere. and we have the power to conquer it. not with money or positive thoughts or dreams, but with the love of God expressed in a radical lifestyle that reflects the passion of the great God-Man. He is the only hope humanity still has left, and He's just waiting for us to allow Him to work in our lives and in the lives of those around us.
i just wanted to encourage y'all to step forward in His faith. it will cost you everything you'll never need, and you'll find something more incredible than anything this world has to offer. He loves you through it all! praying that we follow in His steps!
"1 therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from His love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. 34 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. rather, in humility value others above yourselves,
the phrase "what would Jesus do?" comes from a book called "in His steps" written by a pastor from the 1890's named charles sheldon. the book is incredibly simple. it's a story about what happens when a single church community begins to ask "what would Jesus do?" before every action they take. the church members are normal middle and upper class members of society, they live ordinary middle and upper class lives.
they aren't altogether different from thousands upon thousands of christians in the churches of america today. some of them are talented, others are very simple. some have incredible wealth, others live more modest lives. they live comfortable lives, give money to charities, go to church regularly, sing in church choir, and some of them even preach on sunday. but they never really ask the question, what does it mean to be a disciple of Christ.
when they take up their pledge to stop simply being "christians" on sundays, and start following Christ in all He calls them to do, they can't escape the example Jesus set for them, or the words he spoke to the world concerning his followers:
"not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ -matthew 7:22-23
"23 Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me." -luke 9:23
as they ask the question, "what would Jesus do?" they come to realize just how much He sacrificed for them, and just how much His sacrifice demands that they do. it's not that they must do something to attain His forgiveness, His faith, or His love. it's that once they realize His forgiveness, inherit His faith, and receive His love, they recognize the change it instantaneously brings about in their lives. they cannot be appeased by temporary happiness or material wealth; they desperately desire eternal beauty and heavenly treasures. they can no longer sit by and watch humanity tear itself apart, they must fight, struggle, and sacrifice all they have to save whatever and whoever they can. they suffer financial destruction, social isolation, they give up their life dreams, they are estranged by their own families, and are forced to live in the very places they fear the most. and through it all, God's love sustains them.
people in our world want a how to guide to better relationships, stronger friendships, healthier lifestyle, and inner peace. they want ten simple steps to get whatever they desire. contrary to what a lot of people seem to be saying, Jesus never gave us any of that.
the majority of Jesus' talks were filled with examples, metaphors, similes, and short, powerful statements. the majority of the times He actually said to do or not do something, it was almost always straight out of the old testament. the few times He ever gave a command that was original, it was always in response to how God treats us.
Jesus never gave us a system of how we are supposed to live this life. He gave us His life instead. He's the perfect example of what life looks like when God is allowed to do exactly what He does best in our lives in the most extreme way: share His love with us. even better, He is our connection to the Father. because of Him, we have freedom to touch the God of the universe!
so, only two questions remain. they are incredibly simple to answer, and absolutely terribly in their implications.
do we really know Jesus?
are we walking in His Steps?
are we walking in His Steps?
these questions are so terrible because they get down to the heart of everything we do. are we really living for the God we claim to know? better yet, are we who and what we claim to be? the word christian itself means Christ-follower. are we really doing things like He did?
"3 We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. 4 Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. 5 But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: 6 Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did." - 1 john 2:3-6
i was once asked the question "if God is so good, why does He let bad things happen?"
that question is easy enough to answer. if God really loves us, He has to allow for us to do what we want to, even if it means hurting ourselves or those around us. and He has to make sure that He never forces us to believe Him, even if it means we suffer through this life never knowing just how radical His love for us is. He has to allow for bad things to happen to us, even if they are avoidable. because He has to give us freedom to choose who we want to be and whether we want to love Him. if He doesn't, He can't also be a God of love. He won't be loving, merciful, gracious, or good.
the question i cannot answer so easily is why are these horrible things never fixed in a world filled with so many people claiming to be christians? why, if we are the salt of the earth and the light of the world, do we seem to be so comfortable with the way the world is? Jesus fought for the lonely and afraid. He spent time with tax-collectors and sinners. He gave up all His glory to save a broken race that hated Him.
i look around me, and wherever i go, no matter where i am, i see suffering. from the rich party boy who suffers from extreme insecurity and lack of purpose, to the outcast dying inside from loneliness, to the over-achiever desperate to find relief from the pressures put on her at the slightest hint that she might not be perfect, to the poor boy in the projects who never grew up with a dad, to the starving orphan in africa hanging on to life by a thread. no matter what school, town, state, or nation i go to, suffering humanity is everywhere. and we have the power to conquer it. not with money or positive thoughts or dreams, but with the love of God expressed in a radical lifestyle that reflects the passion of the great God-Man. He is the only hope humanity still has left, and He's just waiting for us to allow Him to work in our lives and in the lives of those around us.
i just wanted to encourage y'all to step forward in His faith. it will cost you everything you'll never need, and you'll find something more incredible than anything this world has to offer. He loves you through it all! praying that we follow in His steps!
"1 therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from His love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. 34 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. rather, in humility value others above yourselves,
5 in your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
6 who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
7 rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8 and being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
9 therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father." -phillipians 2:1-11
God bless!
No comments:
Post a Comment