'What would Jesus do?' is not the right question
My wife and I are thinking of making some changes to our kitchen — relocating a few of the cabinets, replacing some drawer fronts, creating more counter space, and painting. Things have been going well, but last week as we differed on the layout of one of the corners, I found myself thinking, “What would Jesus do?” Now I was sure He'd side with me since we'd both been carpenters, but as my mind quickly scrolled through the Gospels, I couldn't think of a single example of Jesus working with His wife to determine the best layout for a kitchen. I was stuck.
While imitating the ways of Jesus is a recurring theme in the New Testament, the specifics are often unclear. The phrase “What Would Jesus Do” first appeared in the best-selling book In His Steps by Rev. Charles Sheldon in 1896. Almost a century later, a Michigan youth leader got inspired by the book and created a friendship bracelet with the acronym WWJD to encourage her students to think like Jesus. Well, it caught on! Since then, the merchandising of WWJD has expanded to include baseball caps, coffee mugs, jewelry, sweaters, t-shirts, and more. Today, it's a widely recognized phrase.
As much as I love the four Gospels, I have to admit there are very few examples of Jesus doing most of the things I do on a daily basis. He was never married, never a parent, never owned a business or car or house, never voted in an election, and never made financial plans for the future. So I guess we're out of luck if we hope to find a chapter and verse to know what Jesus would do.
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Or are we?
Doing starts with a choice that is processed through the brain and leads to an action. It all starts with thinking. Jesus multiplied a few loaves and fish to provide lunch for 5,000, yet on another occasion sent His disciples into town to get their own lunch. Why? What was He thinking? He came down hard on a group of religious leaders, calling them a brood of vipers, but later defended an adulterous woman and refused to condemn her. Why? What was He thinking? It was His thinking that directed His actions. This means if we are to act like Jesus (WWJD), we must first learn to think like Jesus (WWJT).
“Don't copy the behaviors and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect”(Romans 12:2, NLT).
The Bible is our primary source for learning the thoughts and ways of God. As its truths replace our natural thoughts and responses, we find ourselves stepping into a good, pleasing, and perfect way to live — just like Jesus.
So how did Jesus think? What was going on in His mind that directed His actions and responses? While there's not enough room in the Library of Congress to detail the depths of His thoughts, but let me suggest just a few:
He'd think grace and truth: After establishing Jesus as the creator, the next thing the Apostle John tells us about Jesus is that He is full of grace (John 1:14-18). He wasn't a scorekeeper and didn’t give people what they deserved. But His grace was always mixed with truth — a divine understanding of right and wrong that shaped His values, choices, and teaching.
He'd think love: Jesus loved fully. He saw past the marred exterior to a precious life created in His image, and that filled His thinking and directed His actions.
He'd think doing good for others: He humbled Himself as a servant to promote the well-being of others (Philippians 2:3-8). Because He was secure in His identity, He could use His divine resources to serve others.
He'd think forgiveness: Jesus was about relationships and knew it was impossible for any relationship to survive without forgiveness. But He also knew forgiveness comes with a price, and it's the forgiver — not the transgressor — who has to pay it. And He did.
He'd think redemption: He lived knowing that every person in their natural state would spend eternity apart from Him, and that was more than He could bear. So seeking and saving the lost was always at the forefront of His thinking (Luke 19:10).
Then there's the Fruit of the Spirit, which was always at the core of all Jesus’ thinking: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).
It’s important to understand that it’s possible to do what Jesus did — feeling pretty good about ourselves — yet at the same time be very unlike Jesus. Engaging in “right” behavior without love, patience, goodness, or kindness — without grace and concern for the good of others — misses the heart of God. Thinking right leads to being right. Being right leads to doing right. Doing right leads to looking like Jesus.
So, how's the kitchen coming? It’s progressing nicely, but I don't think we'll be remodeling the bathroom anytime soon.
Ron Tewson is the President of Therefore Project and author of THREADS. He can be reached at [email protected].
