It's the 90s and every mainstream Christian teenager is wearing a cotton threading wristband with the glaring letters "WWJD", aka "What would Jesus do?"
Now, fast forward, it's 2014 and these teenagers are now young adults working, studying tertiary education or even started families themselves. For them, what does WWJD mean now?
I was recently nudged during a message at church on following Jesus on Sunday night.
I knew being a Christian was about following Jesus, but did I truly understand what Jesus did and said?
A few fun facts:
- Jesus was born in a small town, Bethlehem (Luke 2 verses 4-7) denying himself of his divinity and becoming a child born to the virgin Mary
- Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, by going to the synagogue and studying the scriptures (Luke 2 verse 52)
- Jesus didn't begin his ministry till he was about thirty years old (Luke 3 verse 23)
Jesus died around the age of thirty-three years old (Matthew 3 verse 13 talks about the baptism to enter into the Melchizedek priesthood and his ministry continued for around three and a half years)
So... What happened to 90% of the rest of his life?
Could it be... that the only way Jesus was able to do what he did was through patience and character building in the hidden years and moments? So then when we as believers, and disciples, are told in Matthew 16 verse 24-26 "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whosoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it" - we are actually called to do the same.
To take our daily selfish desires and live out a calling that is not always the most glamorous or popular, but is the way that Jesus would have done it.
I could potentially finish this article here, but really I wouldn't be helping anyone – including myself. To be completely honest, none of us are sinless and have it altogether (definitely speaking for myself here) as "all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God" (Romans 3 verse 23), but we can choose to get up each morning and ensure that his mercies which are "new every morning" (Lamentations 3 verse 23) in our lives.
This could mean:
- Choosing to serve instead of being served.
- Choosing to be consistent in the mundane unseen tasks.
- Choosing to listen instead of speaking (Learning this one daily!)
- Choosing to be humbled, instead of being proud
Choosing to love all, instead of only loving those that "deserve your love"
Personally, these are all areas I have dealt with recently and know there are many more situations, which could be added here, but at the heart of it – what does it mean to follow Jesus and do what he did?
For me, it means to live my life through the help of the holy spirit and to remain in him as it says in John 15 verse 5 (NIV), Jesus is speaking and says "I am the vine, you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing."
Meenal Chandra is a Sydney based writer who understands a love worth giving.
Meenal Chandra's previous articles may be viewed at www.pressserviceinternational.org/meenal-chandra.html