WWJD
WWJD – More than a Bracelet – What Would Jesus Do?
In November 2024, Kevin Janzen, our District Next Gen Coach, kindly invited my wife and me to a Young Leaders' Retreat in Red Deer, where nearly 40 young men and women met for fellowship and instruction. I was not exactly sure what to expect; we were certainly not prepared for the blessing we received by participating and for the challenge the Holy Spirit had for us personally.
Expecting to be entertained by the guest speaker, pumped up emotionally by the music, and left to feel somewhat out of our element, we were genuinely surprised to discover the depth to which these fantastic leaders were willing to engage in 'self-search' and the degree of maturity they already had in their pursuit of God.
The theme, presented in the context of a 'soaking' type of worship, centred around the words of the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 11:1, where he writes, "Imitate me as I imitate Christ."
The two salient self-examination questions we wrestled with were these:
With integrity, am I able to make that same statement Paul made?
If I am not able, what do I need to change to make that a reality?
These leaders, commissioned with the task of making disciples of the upcoming generations, were seriously grappling with challenging questions we never engaged in when we were at that age. There was a deep awareness among them that effective ministry flows out of the 'Christ formation of personal character' - not a perfection of character, but a divinely initiated, relentless process leading gradually but inevitably to spiritual maturity.
I came away from the retreat personally challenged. I realized that I dare not make claims that are unsubstantiated by my personal daily conduct. Am I able to make the audacious claim: "Imitate me as I imitate Christ?" How much time is spent making excuses for mediocrity instead of allowing the Holy Spirit to shape my life into something more Christocentric?
Here are four giants that need to be slain:
Do I really believe in my potential to be Christlike? The transformation of Christian character depends on a firm belief that God can make something greater and nobler in my life than it is now. Many people stay in 'mediocrity' because they are not convinced that transformational change is possible. We can be bound by the lie that our character flaws are just too deep. Transformation is not possible as long as the devil can keep us cowed with this lie. If we believe that we can never look like Jesus, we will never look like Jesus. On the other hand, if we understand His unrestricted investment in our life is to initiate a metamorphosis that changes us into His image, we will offer 'what we are and what we are not' to this transformational work of the Holy Spirit with the anticipation of incremental Christlikeness.
Am I satisfied with the quality of my current Christian behaviour? Accepting what currently 'is' becomes the greatest obstacle to realizing what 'could be.' The Apostle Paul, near the end of his life, made the confession that he still had a hefty distance to go in the transformative work of the Holy Spirit in his life. But even though his earthly days were numbered, he responded to his own dissatisfaction with an even greater resolve: "I press on towards the mark of the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:14). A daily commitment to surrender work of the uncomfortable work of the Holy Spirit in my life is the key to holy behaviour.
Does my faith in Christ flavour every aspect of my life? Where do I centre my waking thoughts? What are the last thoughts in my mind as I lay down to rest? Am I embedded in my faith, and is my faith embedded in me? Is my conviction about my faith in Christ so deep that it is the rationale for every choice I make, every decision I face, and every opportunity I engage in? Do I grant Jesus the opportunity to walk with me and talk with me and tell me that I am His own? Is my faith cerebral, or is it relational? I would rather have a 'living' faith than a 'loud' faith, being rather than boasting.
Is my conversation Spirit-controlled and complimentary to the character of Christ? Nothing reveals the state of my heart more accurately than the conversation that comes from my mouth – out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. Is my conversation controlled by Christ, who I claim occupies the throne of my life? Nothing will betray me quicker than my conversation. Life and death are in the power of the tongue. Jesus came to give life, not to judge or condemn. If we are to imitate Jesus, we should expect no less from ourselves. And so, I ask myself: Is my conversation uplifting, encouraging, edifying, seasoned with grace, motivated by love, respectful and gentle?
More and more, I am asking the question, 'What would Jesus do?' I am asking this question not to gain heavenly brownie points but rather to be able to say with integrity and assurance, 'You are safe in following my example because I am determined to pattern my life after the example of the Christ, whose I am and whom I serve.
But please: "Be patient with me; God isn't finished with me yet!"
Thank you, young leaders, for pushing me to face these questions in my own life and development. A broken world awaits true Christ imitators.
Al is an experienced pastor and counselor who works out of our ABNWT District Resource Centre in Edmonton as the Pastoral Care Coordinator. A pastor to the pastors, Al is a friend, mentor, and confidante to all.