IDWJD

“We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands.   The man who says, ‘I know him,’ but does not do what he commands...the truth is not in him.  But if anyone obeys his word, God’s love is truly made complete in him.  This is how we know we are in him:  Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did” 1 John 2:3-6.

A while back there were bracelets that seemed to be everywhere.  The bracelets read WWJD – What Would Jesus Do?  The trouble with the bracelets was the lack of responsibility in its message.  It was basically just asking about our knowledge of Jesus, not our part in exemplifying Him.  We don’t have to guess or consider what Jesus would do since we have God’s word that shows us the pattern of His life.  He made time for God in prayer throughout the day, not just once at night.  He took time to rest and enjoy down time with His beloved disciples, trusting God with these time boundaries.  He took advantage of every opportunity to which God led Him, regardless of the comfort or convenience in the call.  He placed the needs of others before His own.  He served God in all things, and believed God for everything.  Most importantly, He accepted the calling God set before Him with complete obedience. 

I know that while we cannot live a perfect life like Jesus lived, we can certainly strive to walk like Jesus.  We can lift sweet prayers while driving when we hear the news that our friend lost her father to cancer.  We can put aside work when someone needs our compassion, our ear or even a quick hug, knowing that God can replace those surrendered moments.  We can watch for God’s activity around us, taking advantage of moments when we can share the love of God with another.  We can understand that each day and each moment has opportunities for God to use us as His mouthpiece.  Most importantly like Jesus, we can accept the calling He lays before us.  Some of the callings will be sweet and precious such as a calling to be a grandmother or a mommy.  But some of our callings will break our hearts like the calling to hold our dad’s hand as he grabs onto the hand of Christ and is taken to heaven.  We might have a calling to watch a rebellious child flee from her fellowship with everyone who loves her.  We might be called to experience joblessness or childlessness.  The list goes on and on, but when we accept our calling with grace and obedience, we communicate to God our love for Him, our belief in His faithfulness and our complete devotion apart from our circumstances.

After all, we are temporary citizens of this world, and what we lose here He will present us with in Heaven.   May our lives exemplify a new bracelet…IDWJD…I Did What Jesus Did.