What Would Jesus do?
Imagine this scenario. You are gaily dressed in a white outfit to attend a job interview at a multinational company that has promised you a fat salary if you get the job. Unfortunately, as you approach the high-rise building of the multinational company, a reckless driver splashes dirty water on you and drives off without giving an apology. Now, your elegant, stylish outfit has glaring brown stains all over it. What would you do as there’s no time for you to quickly run home and change? The natural reaction of many people would be to hurl insults and curses on the driver of the vehicle. Some others would start pacing back and forth in fear and confusion. Those prone to telling lies, would immediately start manufacturing a lie in their head to explain away the stains on their outfit. While some extra sensitive and highly emotional people can even burst into tears. What do you think Jesus would do in this instance?
Just like you and I are faced with several choices to make on a daily basis, Jesus too had life choices to make. He had the choice to be joyful or depressed, angry or calm, fearful or confident and fearless, give up or press on in the faith, be a people pleaser or do what would please God without feeling guilty if this offends anyone.
Here are some profound statements Jesus made about Himself. In John 12:45, He said ‘And He who sees Me sees Him who sent Me.’ In other words, if you want to see God, you don’t have to go very far, just look at Me and you will see the nature and character of God. To see Jesus is the same thing as seeing God. Jesus was more or less boldly testifying that what I do is what God does, so if You see me, You see Someone doing the exact thing God would do in a similar circumstance. When people look at us what do they see, who do they see? Do they see the love and light of God? Do they see anything that makes them want to draw closer to God and know God more? If it was you in the scenario above that dirty water was splashed on at the verge of a major interview and breakthrough, what would people see? Would they see the works of the flesh in its fullest form or would they see the fruit of the Spirit displayed in that difficult and awkward situation?
In John 14:10, Jesus said ‘The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority: but the Father who dwells in Me does the works.’ Jesus was saying here I don’t just speak mere words, words to make people happy or entertain them. I don’t just blurt out the first thing that comes to my mind without thinking. The words that I speak aren’t things I have made up, I am speaking the very words of God. Can you and I say the same thing about our speech and the words that come out of our mouth? Can someone engage in a conversation with us and at the end of that conversation say it was like God speaking to me, the wisdom of God was evident in that conversation?
What did Jesus say and do when they brought a woman caught red-handed in adultery to Him? Did He condemn her, criticise her and lash out on her for the kind of life she had been living? Or did He look for a comfortable and convenient way to excuse Himself so He isn’t seen in public with a woman of questionable character? No, He looked for a way to minister the love of God to her and bring her to a place of genuine repentance. The question is what would you and I do in the same situation?
You can’t do what Jesus would do if you don’t know Jesus. You can’t live as Jesus lived if you aren’t daily abiding; spending quality time in the Word of God and with Jesus (John 15:4, John 1:1, John 8:31). The more we abide with Christ, the more we dwell in the presence of God where the fire, anointing and glory of God’s presence burns off our sins, flaws and weaknesses and we are transformed to become more like Christ (2 Corinthians 3:18, Isaiah 6:1-7).
Jesus is God’s precious and indescribable gift to mankind and to the problems and challenges in our world (John 3:16, Ephesians 2:8, Romans 6:23, 2 Corinthians 9:15). In these uncertain, perilous times, the world needs the light of Christ to shine brightly in the midst of the darkness and wickedness all around. Let’s light up our world by becoming bosom, intimate friends with Christ and being more Christ like in all we say and do.
PHOTO CREDIT: Collins Lesulie on Unsplash
