WHY BELIEVERS DON’T NEED TO ASK WWJD
In 1896, Charles Sheldon published a novel called In “His Steps,” in which a fictional town was radically improved when its residents began to ask themselves, “What would Jesus do?” before every action. In the 1990s, someone got the idea of writing this question in the acronym form, “WWJD,” and putting it on everything from bracelets to ball caps. The WWJD logo was soon seen everywhere.
Did asking this question help people live better? Perhaps. Thinking before acting is always a good idea. But there is an error at the heart of this. According to the apostle Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, the “people who aren’t spiritual can’t receive these truths from God’s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can’t understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means” (1 Cor. 2:14). In other words, those without Christ have no idea what Jesus would do, neither do they have the desire nor the willpower to do it.
The truth is, only those who have believed and received Christ Jesus as Lord and Savior can know the “mind of Christ” on things. For only those who have been born again have the Spirit of Christ living within, instructing and empowering them to live for Him. The believer doesn’t need to ask what Jesus would do, for they already possess the “mind of Christ” on things. They only need to obey and rely on His Spirit, for the challenge is not so much in knowing God’s will, but in doing it.
But you don’t have to throw your WWJD bracelet away! Who knows? It might cause someone to ask a question about Jesus that will give you the opportunity to share the gospel. Surely, that’s what Jesus would do. 🙂