January 6, 2016

“What would Jesus do?” is a popular question used by many people for making decisions. It seems practical to want to follow His example. Like children repeating the patterns of parents and other mentors, why not try to determine what Jesus would do and then do it His way?

Without intending any criticism of the question, I have pondered changing just one word – “What did Jesus do?” So much has changed, in culture and technology, since Jesus walked in His Land. We have no record of Jesus dealing with specific questions like: “Should I date a non-Christian?” “Can I maintain Godly character and be a professional athlete?” “Is it right to carry a weapon?”

Without specific examples of Jesus handling the current challenges we face, I thought about the value of knowing what He did and then finding ways to apply His example to our challenges. We have an abundance of material in the Gospels regarding what He did.

He honored His parents and submitted to their guidance, apparently until He began His ministry at about age 30.
He faced off with the counterfeit god, Satan, and used Scripture to answer Satan’s challenges.
He practiced a consistent prayer life – He and the Father were in continual communication.
He modeled The Golden Rule: “Do for others what you would like them to do for you.”
He lived out the principle that people matter more than material stuff.
He demonstrated a life of service and sacrifice and assured His followers of the eternal benefits.
He loved at the cost of His own life so that others can know God eternally.
This list could continue for pages. Perhaps we need to spend more time learning what Jesus did – and follow His example – in order to be sure that we are making decisions that reflect what He would do today.

Pastor Bill Ehmann