July 13, 2017
Do you remember the nylon W.W.J.D. bracelets from the '90s? They were awesome, and everyone was obsessed. If you didn't have one, you were basically shunned. Okay, not really, but you definitely didn't want to be the kid that didn't have one.
Mine was purple. I wore it every single day. The purpose of the bracelet was simple. In the midst of decision making, it would remind you to think like Jesus. What would He do in this situation? Based on some of the behavior exhibited by me and most of my pals donning these neon wrap wonders, this purpose and overall message was all but lost on us. I mean, we were 14. The formal operational stage of cognitive thinking isn't fully developed until you're 16. Since most adults have trouble grasping this message, I'm definitely not surprised that a bunch of middle school kids weren't all over it.
The small group I attend just wrapped up the Seamless Bible study by Angie Smith. The last week of the study focuses on the early church and how we, as Christians, should be living in this world - - so basically, W.W.J.D. Wow, who knew that a relic of my childhood would hold such clout in my 30s? Who knew it would take me almost 20 years to truly get it? That little bracelet suddenly became much more than an accessory. It became the reminder it was supposed to be for me.
John, Jesus' beloved disciple, didn't need this reminder. He understood that Jesus was, is, and always will be about love. He understood that to live like Jesus, we need to simply walk like Jesus. In 1 John, he gives us instructions on how to follow in the Savior's footsteps.
- Walk in light - Jesus is the Light of the World. Walk in light with Him, and you will be purified by the blood He shed on the cross to save us from God's wrath.
- Confess our sins - He is faithful and will forgive us.
- Obey His commands - Rules are in place for a reason. Following the rules brings you closer to God. There's a reason Jesus was perfect. He obeyed the Father in everything He asked. Obviously, we're not going to be perfect, but we don't have to worry because God's grace is boundless. But, we should still try to follow His commands as closely as possible. The more you love God, the less you'll want to sin - and the more you'll want to please Him.
- Do not love the world or anything in it - Nothing in this world can or will give you what Jesus gave you on the cross. "The world and all its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever."
- Love one another - the greatest commandment given to us by Jesus in John 13:34-35, "Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another." This one is pretty straight forward. You can't walk around saying you follow Christ but ultimately hate the people around you. That's not how it works. Yes, it's very difficult to love everyone, but that's what we're tasked with. We are all sinners, and Jesus loves every single one of us. So, W.W.J.D and spread that love around.
- Don't deny Jesus - denying Christ means you deny God. They are a package deal. You can't claim the Father without the Son.
Now, I have no clue where to find my purple bracelet. My guess is I lost it, which strangely is metaphor for my life after the W.W.J.D. fad. While I never stopped believing in the Savior, I made zero effort to further my spiritual life and please God the Father by studying His Word and doing His work.
I learned today via Wikipedia that the church who originally made the W.W.J.D. bracelets created a follow up campaign called F.R.O.G. These new bracelets were to be worn with the original bracelets because "What Would Jesus Do?" Well, He would "Fully Rely On God." Isn't that nifty? At my current walk with God, this is just beautiful. And no matter where you are on your journey with Christ, it's the reminder we all need on a daily basis.
BRB - while I go buy the grown up version of this bracelet right now.
