I was in middle school when I got my first WWJD bracelet. It was a black silicone band with white letters, and I can still remember how it felt on my wrist. I wore it every day like the moral compass that it was. Every time I was tempted to cheat on a test, I would look down and see it…What Would Jesus Do? When I saw someone sitting alone, there it was…What Would Jesus Do? When my teenage brain would snap with unreasonable anger…What Would Jesus Do?
I wore it to help me follow Jesus. But over time, something weird began to happen. The question stopped challenging me. In fact, Jesus started sounding a lot like me. He’d say what I wanted to say, avoid what I would avoid, and get mad at all the same people I wanted to get mad at.
I eventually discovered I wasn’t following Jesus. Rather, I was following a version of Jesus I had created. With that realization, I quit wearing the bracelet. And I’ve spent the ensuing 30 years searching for a better question.
I was recently engaged in a conversation with people in my home, wrestling with this question: “How can we be sure we are loving people in the way Jesus intended for us to love them?” As that discussion unfolded, someone inevitably brought up a memory of wearing the WWJD bracelets. A spontaneous survey revealed that 19 of the 21 people present had worn a WWJD bracelet at some point in their life. And in fact, one of the men in the room was even wearing one at that very moment.
“How can we be sure we are loving people in the way Jesus intended for us to love them?”
I assured the group that I wasn’t picking on anyone—or any Christian fashion style—but I asked my decades-old question: “Are we sure ‘What Would Jesus Do?’ is the best question to guide our lives?”
In light of our tendency to recreate Jesus in our image and follow that version, I suggested to the group we need a better question to guide us. Here’s a question that’s harder to bend to our will: “What Did Jesus Do?”
It’s only a one-word change, but that one word changes everything. Think about what changes if we are guided by what Jesus actually did. No longer are we justifying an action because “Jesus would probably do ___ if He was living in this culture.” No longer are we giving ourselves permission to twist an ethical standard because “Jesus would probably have said ___ if He had experienced the nuances of my life.” No longer are we adapting a biblical teaching because “Jesus would probably have affirmed ___ if He had been confronted with the science of the modern world.”
“Think about what changes if we are guided by what Jesus actually did.”
Shifting one word, from would to did, forces me to stop guessing and start reading the Word of God. It forces me to stop speculating through a cultural lens and start observing through a holy lens. I am forced to stop conforming Jesus into my world and to start transforming my world into the reality of His Kingdom.
What did Jesus do when…
- He was confronted with the untouchable? He inconvenienced himself to embrace them.
- He was confronted with broken people? He ignored social norms to engage them.
- He was confronted with traitors? He looked them in the eye and shared a meal.
- He was confronted with enemies? He loved them and forgave them while they were hurting him.
- He was confronted with the proud? He spoke truth with a loving tone and unashamedly pointed to the power of humility.
- He was confronted with the lost? He went out of His way to find them.
- He was confronted with self-righteous Pharisees? He held them accountable while calmly inviting them to enter His kingdom.
Jesus didn’t leave us to wonder what He might do. He showed us by His actions, invited us to follow, and then commanded us to do the kinds of things He had already done. Jesus didn’t leave us with a mystery to unravel, as much as a blueprint, a model to follow. He lived, taught, touched, wept, forgave, rebuked, and bled in real places with real people. The Word of God doesn’t invite us to guess at His ethics; it invites us to learn His values and imitate His example.
“The Word of God doesn’t invite us to guess at His ethics; it invites us to learn His values and imitate His example.”
Our world seems to be divided in every possible way—divisions which even spill out into the church lobby—and when we’re confronted with any of a myriad of cultural controversies, the temptation is to react based on personal instinct, political identity, or emotional impulse.
But what did Jesus do? He didn’t react—He responded. With clarity, compassion, and conviction. He didn’t avoid the messy issues of His time; He entered into them with a Kingdom perspective. He didn’t align with one human party; He embodied a divine purpose.
So, what does this mean for us?
It means before we post, we pause. Before we argue, we ask. Before we defend our position, we examine Jesus’ posture.
Did Jesus ever ignore a person because the person was too messy? No. He leaned in with truth and grace.
Did Jesus ever demonize someone who disagreed with Him? No. He loved them, challenged them, and ultimately gave His life for them.
The invitation is simple, but never easy: Follow Jesus not just in belief, but in behavior. If He forgave, we forgive. If He served, we serve. If He welcomed outsiders, we open our tables and our hearts. If He carried a cross, we carry ours.
“Follow Jesus not just in belief, but in behavior.”
So yes, keep asking questions. But don’t stop at speculation—dig into Scripture. Study His steps. Meditate on His methods. And then, imitate them with courage.
Because the world doesn’t need you to guess at what Jesus might do.
It needs a Church full of people doing what Jesus already did.
