It isn’t WWJD but HWJDI

About a decade ago, the Christian catch-phrase was “What Would Jesus Do?” abbreviated WWJD to gain appeal with pop culture. The phrase became so popular even within secular mainstream that irreverent variations began to show up on t-shirt designs. The clichéd phrase lost meaning to those touting bracelets with the letter WWJD embossed on the silver plating.   

It’s the hypocrisy of the question not being lived out that rubs me the wrong way. If you ask the question, find the answer and then do it. Too many people only want to ask the question but not live out the answer.

I have somebody in my life that is needy. We all have somebody in our lives that are needy.  Not only is this person needy, but also prideful, self-absorbed, and unteachable. This person also requires financial assistance – assistance which I am able to provide. I don’t want to - at least not just help. Every Teacher inclination in me wants to help and teach, but the present situation isn’t a teaching moment, it only calls for help.
 
As I was venting a friend challenged me by asking,

Do you want to be like Paul, who preached ‘right living’? Or do you want to be like Jesus, who loved mercy?

I already knew what Jesus would do. He would be merciful. My problem is not what would Jesus do, but how would Jesus do it (HWJDI)? Mercy is difficult for me. On spiritual gift aptitude tests, mercy rates between 0-1. But just because I don’t score high on an aptitude for mercy, I’m not excused from showing mercy. 
   
Micah 6:8, “He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.”  

The Bible says, ‘freely you have received [mercy], freely give [mercy] (add-in mine). It tells us God loves a cheerful giver.  We’re supposed to give freely, without exception and without strings. Sometimes mercy is giving means financially, sometimes mercy is different. There is not cookie-cutter formula to follow every single time.

Through Jesus, mercy is displayed in many different ways. He didn’t have a formula but he did tell us something important. Jesus only did what he saw the Father doing. Therefore, we need to do what the Father is doing. The way we do that is to know the Father and the way to know the Father is to spend time with him.

King David is considered a ‘man after God’s own heart’ and yet he displeased God by thinking winning battles was a formula. He lost a battle when he didn’t wait to hear from the Father. I need to be more dependent on the Father so that not only will I know what would Jesus do, but how he would do it.

Do you struggle with showing mercy? What does ‘showing mercy’ mean to you? Does it change in different circumstances? Answer in the comments.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

When Love is Forced

Image
I posted something on social media that caused a bit of a stir. Perhaps you saw the original post and wanted to engage in a conversation but couldn’t because the original post was removed due to unintended reactions. If you are here to have a genuine conversation, then this is your invitation to the table. For the next few days, I will read, contemplate, and thoughtfully respond to your comments. Plus, I have snacks. She Said What?! For those who didn’t see the original post, I’m sure you’re curious. This is what I posted: The caption with the photo read, “Any forced ‘act of love’ is generally called rape. It was a deliberate choice of words, and I intentionally set privacy to ‘public’ because I wanted to provoke a reaction that would cause widespread genuine contemplation and discussion.  However, there were two matters that I didn’t fully consider: The first is that I wanted to encourage discussion but I didn't exactly leave it open to invite a conversation with me. Besides, Face
Read more

May I Have Another Serving of Law, Please?

Image
This morning, I’m challenged by the audacity of forgiveness. I mean, I’m really feeling challenged and every time I want to justify punishment and due consequence the Holy Spirit drops the lyrics from Freedom Reigns in my mind: Freedom reigns in this place Showers of mercy and grace Are falling on every face There is freedom Argh! It’s utterly frustrating. A couple who was leading in the church I formerly attended have been charged with heinous crimes. Since their arrest in spring, I’ve been grappling with forgiveness, especially since there hasn’t been evidence of repentance. The charges have been laid and their cases are in the early stages of the Canadian criminal justice system. Their next court appearance will be to set the trial dates – it could be next month or next year. My honest desire is for them to be convicted, and sentenced to the maximum term – 10 years. And if I’m truly honest, I don’t want them just to go to prison, but I want their stay to be tort
Read more

God Makes a Way

Image
I’ve recently returned from a missions experience like nothing I’ve ever participated before. I joined three other women (from United States, South Africa and Malaysia) and together we travelled to Tibet for four days. After Tibet, another American joined the team and we travelled to Bhutan for another five days of missions. In total, I was away from home for a full 14 days. Anxious thoughts plagued me for days, even before I left. I’m not typically anxious because I’m somewhat of a strategic visionary, which means I I like to plan and be prepared for all possible outcomes. This time, though, the airline called, “Fruit basket upset,” and I found myself without a flight home. Adding to my anxiety was a friend (who has a prophetic gift I trust) telling me she felt God was asking me to trust Him, and not to make any other plans or arrangements. She said I should show up at the airport. Her words struck fear in my heart. Show up?! Without a plan?! I went into a full tailspin
Read more