WWJD? Or WWGHMD?
WWGHMD? Not as catchy as WWJD? But perhaps a bit more accurate. I remember when the popular What Would Jesus Do? first became known. Like most people, I thought “How clever. What a great standard to set for living life!” I also noticed that although it sounded very good and noble, when faced with actual tough decisions about our own behavior, the application of that standard wasn’t occurring as much as we’d like it to and was in fact, a bit hard to accomplish! It seemed almost like many folks felt like we had a “get out of jail free” card, in that the standard was so impossibly beyond our reach it wasn’t even worth trying for. After all, Jesus was perfect and sinless – two things none of us are! So even though we might ask the question What Would Jesus Do? our actual behavior was more in line with What is most comfortable for US to do?
It’s human nature to hang out in the comfort zone of our lives, to do what’s easiest for us, what’s most convenient. Since we cannot meet the standard of Jesus’ behavior, there’s no point trying and the whole thing becomes an exercise in futility. What if we asked a wholly different question? What if we asked What Would God Have Me Do? in any given situation and weighed our actions based on scriptural responses we are capable of by applying self-discipline to our actions? Now we’ve got a life changing standard we CAN live up to if we choose to!
Although I can’t manage to put aside all my emotions and thoughts and wants and desires as a flesh and blood person and always come up with the perfect behavior for every situation I face, I can set a standard to apply the wisdom of Biblical principles and some old fashioned self-discipline and behave in the best possible manner I can manage in any given circumstance. Romans 8:29 tells me clearly that God predestined us to be conformed to the image of His Son. So this character shaping is a work of the Holy Spirit working in me to mold and make me as God desires me and you to be. This isn’t a work of the flesh, by the flesh and for the flesh. This is a spiritual work only He can accomplish. II Corinthians 3:18 shows that we are a work in progress by the statement of the Apostle Paul “But we all with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image….” Which would lead us into a discussion of sanctification, a topic for another day.
I’m also aware of, teach and believe Ezekiel 36: 25-27 GOD puts His Holy Spirit in us, God writes His statutes on our hearts and moves us to obey, so there certainly is that element of Jesus living through us, Jesus working through us. However, that must also come into agreement with other verses of Scripture such as Proverbs 16:9 and 20:24, both of which indicate a unity in the two actions – we planning our actions, taking our actions while those plans and actions are directed by an Almighty God.
When you are faced with a choice, a difficult decision that hinges on how you react or behave in a certain set of circumstances, definitely consider what Jesus would have done and weighing in what you CAN DO to best represent your Lord in the situation to the best of your ability, trusting the Holy Spirit to lead and guide you by faith into the right behavior. Allow Gods grace to cover you but don’t use grace as an excuse for poor behavior! After all Jesus did tell us that the works that He did, we would do also and GREATER WORKS!! We have no excuse and with the power of the Holy Spirit working in and through us, we need no excuse!
This is certainly a simplified way to look at what is actually a very complicated situation-mans behaviors- and yet, I continue to preach and adhere to the principle that God intended to simplify all this as much as possible so we could “get it”! He loves us that much. He wants us to GET IT!
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