W.W.J.D? by Kathy Grisham

Do you remember a few years ago when these letters were so popular?

Everywhere you looked there they were. They were on bracelets and necklaces, on t-shirts, caps, you name it, it was there. My kids made things at VBS with WWJD? on it.

I have been reading a book called In His Steps. It is set in the 1920s.

A pastor is trying to write his sermon for the service on Sunday, but keeps getting interrupted. A man comes to his door, asking for help. The man is poor. He has lost his job, his home, his wife has died, his child is living with relatives.  He is looking for work, for help. And the pastor tells him he is sorry but he can't  help him and sends him on his way.

The next day at church, which by the way, is full of well to do, well dressed people, after the pastor has delivered his well prepared, well written sermon, the homeless man steps forward. He goes into detail about how he needed help, how his wife has died, how he has lost his job, and how he had went around town to all the good christian people asking for help and not receiving it. He said he didn't think that was the way he thought Jesus wanted Christians to act.

As the man is talking, he falls over and collapses on the floor. They all gather around him and the pastor takes him to his house. The man lingers for a few days, then dies.

The pastor feels so bad about the way he and his congregation had treated the man. But, he starts really thinking about what the man said.

So the next Sunday, he delivers his sermon. But it is with a heavy heart. He asks his congregation a favor.

He asks all who will, to join him in pledging for a year to not do anything without first asking, What Would Jesus Do?

We are talking well do to, rich people. Businessmen.Wealthy women.

As they pray they feel the spirit of God all around them. They pledge to do this for a year. No matter what God asked of them, no matter what people said about them or thought, they were to do what they felt Jesus would do.

As they start doing this, things start changing. One man is a newspaper publisher. He decides that Jesus wouldn't like or would put certain things in a newspaper. The same with ads that were in his paper. If he thought or felt  Jesus wouldn't do it, he didn't.

A young woman with a beautiful voice had an offer to sing with an opera company. But she felt Jesus would want her to use her voice in a diferent way. A travelling evangelist had set up a tent in the seedy part of town. She went and started singing at the meetings. Her voice could calm down even the most rowdy people in town.

 Things started happening in that town.

That's as far in the book as I have got.

But it got me to thinking. If we started asking that question everyday to ourselves and only doing what we felt Jesus would do, what would happen?

I would  turn my tv off. I doubt if Jesus would watch some of the things I have. Or I would at least not watch some of the shows that I do. I doubt if Jesus approves of everything I watch.

I would turn my computer off and read and study God's word. Those games I play on Facebook can wait.

I wouldn't light up another cigarette. I'm sure he wouldn't do that.

I wouldn't talk about somebody. Change that to gossip about somebody.

I would read and study the word of God more so I would know how to answer the question WWJD?

If I asked myself that question everyday, as soon as I wake everyday and all through the day, I know I would change how I do things. I would change how I act and speak.

Thank God I am a work in progress. Thank God for forgiveness and mercy and grace. I need it all the time.

Philippians 2:13.. For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.

1Corinthians 3:15-16.... Those who are spiritual can evaluate all things, but they themselves cannot be evaluated by others. For, Who can know the Lord's thoughts? Who knows enough to teach him? But we understand these things, for we have the mind of Christ.

I'm going to try this. I am going to try my best to ask myself this question before I do anything. It will not be easy and I am sure there will be many failures. We live in a world that thinks they can do whatever they want. People think only of themselves. I want to not be that selfish.

I want the mind of Christ.

WWJD?

Blessings,

Kathy

You can find Kathy at her blog: Walking in Faith 4 Him