What Do You Do?

The popular phrase "What Would Jesus Do?" became a Christian marketing goldmine in the late eighties and early nineties. "WWJD" was found on every product imaginable and all "good" Christians would wear the bracelets proudly wherever they would go.

I know that this movement was based on the book "In His Steps" by Charles Sheldon. And while the premise is really good, I think it leaves something out.

Yes, it is important to consider how Jesus would respond to a given situation or how He would make a decision, but it can easily feed our tendencies to be legalistic and religious, checking off one more thing to try and earn favor with or favors from God. We can do all the things that Jesus would do with all the wrong motives.

The Sermon on the Mount is filled with Jesus challenging His followers to check their motives. Before, as long as we didn't actually commit adultery, it was okay. Now we have to take care not to have impure thoughts. Obviously, murder is a no-no, but now being angry with a brother is a problem.

As a wife of a minister, I have often gone into a worship service with the wrong motive. I have accepted an invitation to be a part of something that I knew I needed to, but my heart couldn't be further from.  I have done what was expected of me but I did so with a sinful, ugly inside covered with my minister's wife smile and fake graciousness on the outside.

What about you? Have you done things as a minister's wife or a Christian because you felt like you should? Like it was simply what Jesus would do? Or maybe that Jesus expected you to do it whether you felt like it or not? How do you handle this?

For me, they seem to come in seasons. These seasons are long and lonely. When this happens, what do you do?