What Would Jesus Do?: The Untold Truth

It was several years ago when I first heard this popularized saying, "What would Jesus do?" and its acronym "WWJD." I remember thinking how interesting and powerful self-imposed questions are, especially questions which cause us to think and make choices consciously, instead of simply reacting to life or living on autopilot.

I certainly mean no disrespect to the person or group who came up with the phrase WWJD or to those who reflect on this question in a meaningful way. WWJD is a good question to ask ourselves, but it is not the best question.

When we ask ourselves any question, in this case, WWJD, we are essentially focusing our mind to process a given situation through a different filter, through a different mental map. Nothing wrong with this. But if we really want to get to the root of a matter, to get into the head and heart of any Master, Jesus being the Master used in this statement, then we have to move further back towards the "cause" than the question WWJD prompts us to do.

You see, when we ask the question, "WWJD" we are reflecting on and considering, to the best of our knowledge, what Master Jesus would do in a similar situation. The focus on the "doing," what would he "do," is misplaced. What we do is an effect of how and what we think and believe. Doing is an effect, thought is the cause. Thought precedes all action. Thought comes first. Whether we are conscious of the thought is another matter. All action is preceded by thought.

To get to the root of "doing," we must seek to get to the root of the thought of the doer. When we reflect on what a Master might do in a given situation, we may be better served reflecting on that which comes before the doing, which is thought. How would a Master think about a particular issue? We could restate this phrase as, "What would Jesus think about this issue?" Or seeking to get even deeper to the root of the mind within the man, we could ask ourselves, "What would Christ think about this issue?"

When we give the mind direction to focus in this manner -  on the mind of Christ - we have the potential to access the wisdom, knowledge, and perspective of something far greater than just considering what Jesus would do. Remember, thought precedes action. Considering the mind of the doer is far more powerful than only considering action.

Try it. "What would Christ think about this issue?"

Many Blessings to You!

Michael