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So What Would Jesus Do?

Christian musicians believe "WWJD" is more than just a slogan. They want to make its message a part of their everyday lives.

compiled by Dana Key

It seems everywhere you look somebody's wearing one of those WWJD bracelets. And the message is a good one. There's nothing wrong with asking ourselves: What would Jesus do? After all, Christians are challenged to follow Christ's example, and to "imitate" God in the way we live our lives (Ephesians 5:1-2). Even so, how do we take the message beyond a bracelet and past a fad? How do we make the WWJD message real in the way we talk and act?

To help answer that question, several Christian artists tell some of their personal stories in a book called the WWJD Interactive Devotional, compiled by Dana Key (Zondervan). Here are four of those stories.

Michael Tait of dc Talk:
"I Knew Jesus Wouldn't Lash Out"
A few weeks ago, I went with four of my friends to the Smoky Mountains to do some rock climbing. We came to this little town just outside of Knoxville, Tennessee. I wanted to pull over and get something to drink and I saw a little country store ahead.

I walked in and there were three guys sitting there giving me looks I have never seen before. The older of the three said, "You don't belong around here—boy."

At first I thought, Is he talking to me? Then I realized he was. I couldn't believe my ears when he said, "Stick around here after dark and we'll hang you." I was thinking, Man, we're sending rockets to Mars and there are still people living in this kind of blind racial ignorance. It was as if I'd been beamed back to the '50s. Suddenly I was experiencing hatred, the kind of bigotry I'd only read about or seen on TV. I'll never forget how I felt in that little country store. For just a split second, I felt less than human. I felt alone.

No, I didn't lose it. I knew Jesus wouldn't have lashed out. And I knew God wanted me to keep my anger under control. So I calmly explained to that man that racism is a thing of America's past. I even surprised myself at the restraint I showed.

Steven Curtis Chapman:
"God Expects More of Me"
Last night I got a little uptight and I kind of lost it for a moment. I was talking to my wife, Mary Beth, from my hotel room, and I heard this knock on the door. It was the road manager telling me to hurry up and get on the bus. I shouldn't have let it get to me, but I guess I was just frustrated by being constantly on someone else's schedule. I hung up the phone, threw my stuff on the bus, and slammed the door to the bus's lounge area. As hard as I could.

I felt bad. Sure, I could have justified my little tantrum. I was away from my family. I was physically worn out. Pitching a little fit once in a while is a very natural way to let off steam. But that's just the point. While it was a very easy and natural thing for me to do, there is no justification for it in God's sight. God expects much more of me than that.

I remember hearing my pastor preach on the verse where Paul tells the Corinthians to quit acting like "mere men" (1 Corinthians 3:3). His point was that their behavior might be typical, but it's not the way believers should act. I mean, we have God's Word and his Spirit. We've been made new creations and we're part of the body of Christ. We're told that "his divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness" (2 Peter 1:3). I'm no longer a natural man, I'm supernatural, and God expects me to live life according to the new nature he's given me.

Steve Wiggins of Big Tent Revival:
"I Needed to be There"
Sometimes when we're signing autographs, a fan will approach who just wants to talk. And talk. Maybe something we've said through our music really moved them.

Sure, in a perfect world, I'd love to give this person all the time he or she needs, but that's not always possible. There are usually people in line behind this person who are growing restless. Or there's an anxious store owner pacing nearby, wanting to make sure you get to everybody. Or maybe it's just that we know that when the last person passes through the line, we can get some much-needed sleep. Sometimes helping people is just plain inconvenient and you've got to choose between yourself and the person who needs you.

Take a concert we did recently at one college. In order to get me out to the autograph table without going through the crowd, security escorted me behind some bleachers. This guy suddenly came out of the darkness. He came up to me and said, "Man, I really connected to what you were saying up there. Can you talk to me a little while?"

As soon as the guy started speaking, my road manager started pulling on my arm saying, "Wiggins, we've got to go." And all I could think of was that I was already beat and this could take hours. Even so, it really seemed that God wanted me to spend some time with this guy.

Well, to make a long story short, a couple of hours later, I found myself in an empty auditorium, sitting in the bleachers, leading this guy to Jesus.

People don't always need you when it's convenient for you. But when they need you, you need to be there for them. It's what Jesus would do.

Danny Stephens of Smalltown Poets:
"I'm Hurting with You"
Yesterday I had to make a phone call to console a friend whose dad had passed away. Cathy's dad was only 55, but he died of cancer. It was a pretty tough pill for the family to swallow because they were under the impression that the cancer was in remission and her dad was getting better.

Cathy's dad was the pastor of his church; in fact, he had been my pastor for several years. So I knew by now Cathy had heard every possible Christian cliché about losing a loved one. You know, things like, "He's in a better place now" and "We don't understand why, but someday in heaven we will." All those things are true, but sometimes they just don't offer much comfort. I knew she would still be hurting inside.

I had no idea what I was going to say to her. When she picked up the phone I just said, "Cathy, I can't imagine what you must be going through right now. And I don't have any great pearls of wisdom to make you feel better and I sure can't bring your dad back, but I just wanted you to know I really love you. And I'm hurting with you." After a slight pause, Cathy said, "Danny, that's enough, thanks. I love you, too."

Sometimes there aren't any magic fixes or clever words. Sometimes all you can do is wrap your arms around a friend and sit right there and cry. Most of all, you just need to show them God's love.

Copyright © 1998 by the author or Christianity Today International/Campus Life magazine. For reprint information call 630-260-6200 or e-mail clmag@CampusLife.net May/June 1998.
Vol. 56, No. 9, Page 18

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