December 26
Zechariah 7-8
Psalm 147:1-9
Proverbs 31:6-9
Revelation 17
WWJD
“Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.” Proverbs 31:8-9
A few years back, there was a phrase that went around in Christian circles. You could find WWJD on bracelets, plaques, shirts, and anything else that retailers could think to put it on that people would buy. “What Would Jesus Do” was intended to make us think in every situation about what Jesus would do if he was in our shoes. I think it was good and it did make us think before we acted. The problem is that if we are going to ask ourselves WWJD, we must spend time figuring out what Jesus really would do so we need to get to know Jesus on a whole new level. Just knowing a few bible stories about Him and assuming how He would respond isn’t enough. I heard a lot of people quote the “let him who is without sin cast the first stone” bible verse as an excuse to ignore sin saying that Jesus said we shouldn’t judge others so we shouldn’t get involved. That is absolutely not what Jesus would do. When everyone else left, Jesus did not tell the woman caught in adultery that her sin was fine, and she could just go on and do what she had been doing. He told her to “go and sin no more.” Ignoring sin is not loving and it is not what Jesus would do. He did not want to stone her, but He loved her too much to let her continue in her sin. In most situations where we find ourselves, the thing that Jesus would do is get involved. He would not condemn, but He would go alongside them and help them turn from their sin and turn to Him.
Out of the WWJD period came another movement that is referred to as the Social Justice movement. Many churches have adopted this platform and it has been politicized. We are told numerous times in the Bible to care for the poor, widows, orphans and oppressed, and of course Jesus would do those things. However, many churches have begun to prioritize this over the main purpose of the church. The church’s number one mission and the number one priority of Jesus was to provide salvation to the lost. The most important need that anyone has is their need for a relationship with Jesus. They are dead in their sins, and they need to be made alive in Christ. We can feed the hungry, heal the sick and care for the orphans, and we should do those things, but if we don’t tell them about Jesus, they will die and go to hell and those things would have done them no good at all. I know that “we have to earn the right to be heard” and to an extent that is true. However, many churches and ministries aren’t getting around to the gospel. They are serving them and then hoping that they will see Jesus’ love in them and somehow get saved. I’m just not sure how often that is happening. Also, I often see that God’s Word is being compromised to try to reach more people. The social justice movement has watered down the word to make it more culturally relevant and politically correct. Please don’t get me wrong, I am not advocating that we don’t serve. Churches should be meeting the needs in their communities. And as individual believers we each need to be serving in some capacity. We can all do something. We just have to careful not to lose sight of our most important mission. Showing the love of Jesus must include telling them about Jesus or it is not loving. As we look to a new year if you are not serving in your community on a regular basis, I would encourage you to make this a priority. The needs are great. There are a lot of lonely, hurting, desperate people who need the love of Jesus. Whatever your age, physical abilities, time constraints, etc. you can find a way to serve. Help at your local food bank, deliver meals or write cards to shut-ins, get involved in a prison ministry or a ministry to internationals, help in a Habitat for Humanity home, run errands for an elderly neighbor or a new mom. There are endless opportunities if we just take the time to look for the needs. Do Something! I can tell you what Jesus would do; He would get involved
In the lives of the people around Him.
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