Jesus doesn’t ask us to change our behaviour, he promises to give us a new heart and that will cause us to change. WWJD puts the emphasis on our doing and changing to copy Jesus whereas scripture puts the emphasis squarely on Jesus changing us so that we might be more like him. In the end, it is the Spirit that makes us more like Jesus. And that becoming like Jesus – whilst it will have an effect on our behaviour – is more about Christ-like character.

Everyone and everything is harking back to the 90s at the minute. What that means is people like me are getting old. Programmes are being made offering retrospectives on stuff I remember living through and think wasn’t that long ago. Adverts are using the music I grew up with to market their nonsense to me. Kids are now wearing the clothes I have always worn (so I’m in fashion again) but calling it ‘retro’ and ‘vintage’. So, in the spirit of reliving the 90s, I got to thinking about WWJD bands.

If you’re from the 90s, you’ll remember people wearing the little rainbow bracelet with WWJD on it. The letters stood for ‘What Would Jesus Do?’ The idea – which I understand and was well intentioned – was an attempt to get people to think about their choices with at least a nod to thinking about Jesus and his approach to the issue before determining what to do. So, the theory was people might think about Christ and the gospel and then modify their choices and behaviour in the light of Christ. It was a well-meaning attempt to get Christian people to live in light of their profession of faith.

But as with many well-meaning things, I’m not sure it was actually all that helpful. Partly because of reality, partly because of who was asking the question and partly because of what the question naturally did and didn’t encourage. So, in no particular order, here is why they weren’t always super helpful.

We’re not Jesus

One key problem with WWJD is the framing of the question. A slightly more helpful question – but a clearly much more leaden acronym that wouldn’t fit onto a bracelet – would be something like: what does the bible say Jesus would want me to do? But I accept WDTBSJWWMTD is less pithy and fairly forgettable. Even WWJWMTD (What Would Jesus Want Me To Do) is still a mouthful. But that is really the question if we are talking about acting in line with our profession.

The problem with WWJD is that the question assumes some direct correlation between what Jesus would do and what we ought to do. And I don’t suggest there is no relationship between those questions, just that there isn’t a direct one. Because we’re not Jesus, there are clearly things Jesus would do, and did do, that we aren’t going to do because we’re not him.

So, at a wedding when all the wine runs out, I know what Jesus would do because there’s a story in the Bible about specifically what he did do. But I also know that what Jesus would do isn’t what I am going to do in that situation because I can’t do that! I similarly know, when faced with the reality of sin in the world, Jesus went to die on the cross to pay the debt of all who would believe in him.

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