WCIDTWPJ?

Most Christians, like myself, believe that modeling one's life after Christ is the goal, the end-zone, the target for their own lives. Unless you've been residing in a bomb shelter for the past several decades, you have seen the anagram "WWJD?", which asks "What Would Jesus Do?" However, before we can speculate on answering such a question, we should be aware of WDJD?, or What Did Jesus Do?

• He performed miracles. Lots of head scratching, eye-popping, heart warming, life changing miracles, but we can't do that, can we? 

• He lived a perfect, sinless, in all ways exemplary life, but we can't do that, can we?

• He spoke flawless wisdom that left the teachers of wisdom dumbfounded every time they tried to trap Him, but we can't do that, can we?

• He was the Lamb of God who took away the sins of the world, but we can't even take our own sins away, can we?

So, how could asking ourselves, "What would Jesus do?", help us to make important life choices. It's like asking yourself,  "How can I stop the moon from orbiting or the tides from changing?" before you decide whom to marry or trust with my charitable donations. 

Jesus had a whole toolbox full of tools that we don't have at our disposal. Once in a while, He may lend us one of His tools, but it's still His tool loaned for a specific task, a specific time, and solely at His discretion. We don't do well with God's tools. We quickly forget whose tool it is, what it's used for, when to use it, and where to return it. If your a tool owning parent of a teenager, you can relate just like your parents, and their parents could. That's human nature. 

Jesus had a human form, but His function was anything but human. The list of His doings makes this disparity between Jesus and ourselves abundantly clear. 

So, why are we asked to perform what appears to be a purely philosophical exercise before making real world decisions that range in importance from the massive to mundane? 

The answer is, we aren't asking or being asked the right question. We should ask ourselves, WCIDTWPJ?, or What Can I Do That Would Please Jesus? This does not fit nearly as well on a bracelet, bumper sticker, tee-shirt, or anything else smaller than a billboard, which may explain its scarcity amongst those who prefer to demonstrate their remote, philosophical Christianity through slick advertising media rather than doing what they could be doing that would please Jesus. In my estimation, this is a lot like pretending to walk on water as opposed to doing it.  Jesus did the things He talked about,  but many Christians today content themselves by just talk about the things He did. Remember the warning to the church at Ladocia, and heed it!

No, we can't turn a few loaves and few fish into a meal for 5,000. But are we making any effort to feed even one hungry person in our own community?

No, we can't make a handicapped person stand up and walk. But are we tending to even one disabled person in our community? 

No, we can't drive out demons from a person who has been ostracized. But are we even spending time supporting one person in crisis in our community? 

No, we can't do anything that Jesus did. But we can and should be doing the things that would please Jesus. Now, ask yourself "WDJD?" and then ask yourself, "WCIDTWPJ?" Once you have acted on those two decisions go out and have a bumper sticker, tee-shirt, bracelet, or even a billboard printed with the anagram "IMJS" or I'm Making Jesus Smile, but I'm willing to bet that you probably won't feel the need to use cute advertising anymore. 

When all those who wear Christianity begin to practice Christianity, we will surely have used one of those miracle tools like Jesus, but be sure to remember where and to whom the credit belongs.