WWJD

WWJD – What Would Jesus Do?!

When you have pleaded with someone not to take an action without good counsel but they did take that action and then come back crying. You want to say, ‘did I not tell you?’ But I have been careful to remember WWJD quite often lately.

When you have someone who is quick to respond with twenty words when you have spoken two; then they come running to you for help. You want to respond with, ‘who’s help do you need now?’ But I have been thinking lately, ‘What Would Jesus Do?’

When you are trying to show the kindness of GOD to someone who had hurt you and you hear they are maligning you and your family. You want to call them and give a piece of your mind (I have made up my mind that I would never again give anyone a piece of my mind after a pastor said, ‘You give this one a piece of your mind and that one a piece of your mind. Before you know it, you have no mind anymore.’), but I just keep quiet, keep my peace and my mind and I just think, ‘What Would Jesus Do?’

When you are just trying to show love and kindness to someone and they completely take it out of context and you want to give them the response they deserve. I just remember, ‘What Would Jesus Do?’

When you get into some conversations and you are wondering, what is this all about. Instead of saying, this is not for me, sorry, bye! You just keep your cool, listen, ask the right questions, make the person feel important. Why? ‘What Would Jesus Do?’

And asking, What Would Jesus Do is a very poignant question. Because what did Jesus actually do?

In John 21: 3-14 we read what Jesus did. This is an account after Jesus had been crucified and raised from the dead. He had appeared to the disciples a couple of times before this.

These are the disciples that spent three and a half years in the tutelage of GOD Himself. These disciples were in the University of Jesus Christ. He never called white, black for them; neither did He call black, white. He told them His mission, called them to follow Him and do greater works than He did. He told them everything about Himself and His Father. They saw Him perform unimaginable signs and miracles. They knew the power and glory that He carried.

They lived with Him, slept under the same roof as Him, and ate at the same dining table as Him. Travelled together with Him; practically did life with GOD. I often thought that if you were to convert the hours the disciples spent with Jesus in the three and a half years to a university degree these days, it would probably be worth five years spent in studying Medicine.

He told them He would die, be buried and rise again the third day. He told them that if He did not go away the promised Holy Spirit would not come. He told them! He told them!!

Then what did the team leader, Simon Peter, do once the LORD was not with them? This is the one that affirmed that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living GOD. This is the one that Jesus commended that flesh, and blood had not revealed this to him but GOD the Father. The leader of the pack, Simon Peter, what did he do once Jesus was not with them? He said he was going fishing – going back to the life that Jesus called him and the others out from. And what influence he had that most of the rest, including John, John the beloved, said they would go fishing with him. None of them ever chided nor dissuaded him for suggesting going back to fishing; after the Master had called them out of fishing – instead they said they would go fishing with him.

While they were in the boat on the river casting their nets trying to catch some fish, Jesus was on the bank of the river flaming the fire, cooking for them, making the bread, waiting for them to catch the fish, simply asking them if they caught any fish and for them to bring some for Him to put in the fire. Recognising that it was the LORD, the Bible says that ‘none of the dared ask Him, who are you?’

What Did Jesus Do?! He cooked for them and made sure they were fed. Then He asked Peter, the leader of the pack, three times if he loved Him. I would have expected that Jesus would tell them off – letting them know how disappointed He was in them. That they did not believe Him and what example were they setting for the other despondent, discouraged disciples if they were abandoning the mission and ‘going afishing.’ One would have expected that Jesus would express doubt if He made the right choice with them. He hadn’t even gone to heaven yet. He was still on earth. That means He’s been away from them for just about a month or less and they were discarding everything He taught them – going back to what He saved them from. He could have reminded them that they were nothing, with no future when He picked them up, made something out of their lives but now that He needed them to have a backbone, they went ‘afishing.’

But what did Jesus do?! He started the fire, cooked and fed them, satisfied their cravings. Then He just asked Simon Peter a simple question, ‘do you love me more than this?’ Do you love me more than fishing – going back to the familiar - your old way of thinking, living? Do you love me more than satisfying the desires of your flesh? Do you love me more than doing it your way or the highway? He didn’t kick; He didn’t scream; He fed them and brought their hearts back to the place of love.

So, when you are tempted to click send after you have typed that message that could cause the receiver to have a heart attack, think, ‘What Would Jesus Do?’ When you are tempted to go on that dark website when you are bored, stressed, angry or frustrated and all these emotions are telling you to go on the site just to destress, think, ‘What Would Jesus Do?’ When that person has hurt you badly and you are tempted to go on social media and tear them into shreds like a hyena tears its prey, think, WWJD?’

When no one is watching and you feel you can take that thing, after all you have worked hard and deserve it, but they haven’t given you, think, ‘What Would Jesus Do?’

If every believer would conscientiously ask ourselves at every turn of life, ‘What Would Jesus Do?,’ we would turn this world right side up for the LORD.

Let’s start being the light that He called us and think before taking an action or making a decision, WWJD – ‘What Would Jesus Do?’