By admin
I sat down to write some goals to end this year off strong and just began to consider ways to better myself. Under my Attitude Goals section I wrote “really,what would Jesus do?” Honestly this phrase kind of annoys me anytime I hear it uttered from someones mouth. It is usually sometimes spoken by a non-Christian trying to get something from a Christian like, “cmon man wwjd? He would so let me barrow His car, He was big on sharing and stuff, c’mon please!?” Also, sometimes it is used between believers, “wwjd, you should come to my party Saturday, you have nothing else to do, right?”
At the root of this phrase, far beyond the cliché it has become, it evokes a sobriety in our hearts and minds when we ask ourselves, “really, what would Jesus do?” When we ask ourselves this question as Christians there needs to be a pause to allow the trite of the phrase to dissipate. Then once you understand the implications of such a question, weigh them out and choose a sensible option.
I use the phrase to evaluate my actions almost everyday. I am consistently asking the question internally, “what would Jesus really do in this situation?” This past week I have had some very interesting occurrences with Christians and non-Christians. I had a conversation with an atheist, questioned if I am to nice to people, and a host of other things. The motivation behind writing this post actually came from my observation of helping out other Christians though. This past week I had been placed at an inconvenience to help out friends. Nonetheless I completed tasks for fellow Christians that I could have charged them for. After doing these things I felt a little used and taken advantage of and that’s when the question arose from the inside, WWJD?
Don’t just answer the question in haste, use your imagination. We understand Jesus was a Carpenter right? So, picture Jesus sitting at home and enjoying the cool summer night about to go to sleep. Suddenly there is a knock on his door from a neighbor/fellow brother. “Hey Jesus sorry to bother you, hope I didn’t wake your mom, but I have a little emergency. Remember those chairs you made me? Well, I have guest tomorrow for a scripture reading and I really need another custom designed chair. No one makes them as fine and sturdy in all of Nazareth. Could you make me one, the meeting is early tomorrow morning.” Now, Jesus is Jesus so He can’t ask Himself WWJD, He just has to respond. I see it in 3 options;
1. No, “I’m tired and I have to make a table for my dad’s friend early tomorrow.”(Daddy Joseph, not God)
2. Yes but, ”It will cost you extra $$(cha-ching!) because I was almost sleep”
3. Yes, “Its for my Fathers cause (God, not Joseph) give me a few hours.” (Should be some points in heaven, right?)
Consider this is not an enemy your †1″going the extra mile” for, but a brother. If it were an enemy or unbeliever we know Jesus commands us to, †2″bless those that spitefully use us.” As a believer where do you draw line when offering help to those of the same faith? Roll with the punches and ask God to credit it to your heavenly account, politely ask for some $$, or just say no (nicely)? 
Offer your point of view, tell me what I am missing here if anything? Are there other underlying factors that need to be considered like, motivation or a true need? Share you experiences on the topic (no names, don’t want to cause division ). God Bless.
†1 Matthew 5:41
†2 Luke 6:28, Matthew 5:44
By admin
I decided to cast aside my gps tonight and just try to find my way to my friends house in a town about 30 minutes away on memory alone. It sounded like a good idea in my mind in the beginning of course. Unfortunately after about 40 mins on the road I knew I was not were I should be. So, I pulled into McDonalds to use the wifi and call my friends to get directions. It turned out I had passed their house uh, about 12 miles back. Nonetheless I headed back past all the landmarks I had already passed! Despite being lost and driving about 12 miles out of my way I thoroughly enjoyed the therapeutic nature of the drive. As I was driving back, “in the right direction” I begin to past numerous subdivisions and cars of course. Many of the town stores seemed a bit raggedy looking and old and I just thought, “I wonder how many people live in this town?” The next question was even more thought provoking, “I wonder how many residents have never made it out of this town?”
At the thought of the latter question I kind of felt a little sad. I thought about the person who had the potential to display their gift before millions, yet they were probably grounded in their hometown. This is not a put down on the city or anything, just the thought of dreams never fulfilled is a little disheartening. How many people in this city had dreams to sail across oceans, or explore foreign lands, but have never left their surrounding area? I call this being grounded, trapped by your environment. Just the other night I encouraged a girl who used to attend my church not to lose heart in pursuing her dreams. She expressed to me she just felt stuck and she was in trouble with the law, thus couldn’t leave the city. I didn’t judge her, but just told her to not lose heart and without God there is no such thing as success. I actually created a non-profit organization just for this reason, to give young people an opportunity to dream outside of the construction of their cities and towns. I won’t divulge the details of my organization but its going to be great when its launched, donations welcomed. Unfortunately the inspiration I had to write this blog is fading and I’m too tired to muster it back up. I would just say don’t get grounded, the biggest part is knowing your purpose. I’ll write a blog on purpose sometime, but I shall stop now. Sorry for the brevity, I’m going to watch Life and go to sleep. The End
By admin
I was just reading in Proverbs 7 this morning when I came across four words that begin to speak to me like never before; “He did not know”. Your probably thinking He did not know what? Well the story in this proverb tells of a young man who was devoid of understanding. He lacked perception, knowledge, point of view, insight, awareness, and these faults would lead to his demise. Due to the young mans ignorance he passes down the corner of a prostitute. This was his second mistake, the first you will soon understand. Being the skilled prostitute she was she whispered just the right words in this young man’s ear. She painted the picture vividly of the love they would enjoy from sunset to sunrise. She even gave him a kiss for no charge as a sample of what was to come. Thus it reads “with her enticing speech she caused him to yield.” So like a criminal, hands held high frozen at the mercy of the officer and his gun, this young man is under the arrest of this prostitutes’ lust. As if he were hypnotized it reads “he went after her as an ox to the slaughter.” I can imagine the drool falling from his mouth as his mind provokes thoughts of the fun they would have together. He follows her catwalk into her home, smelling the aroma of the perfumes saturated in her bedroom sheets as he walks through the threshold. Then in the blink of an eye his drooling day dream is interrupted by a arrow to his side, piercing his liver, taking his life. Like a bird enticed by a morsel of bread placed in the middle of a net, “SNAP!”, he was caught.
The archer high fives the prostitute as he goes to empty the young man’s pockets with a smirk on his face. He exclaims, “Lucky # 525 lets see what you have in these here pockets that can be of some value to us?” The arrow is pulled from his side, he’s dragged away from the outside of the prostitutes bedroom door. His blood is cleaned from the entrance of the bedroom so # 526 can have the same fate. He’s gathered with the rest who fell to the same trick as he did. What took this young man’s life? I can tell you right now, the arrow was just an aid, and the prostitute was only part of the problem. The number one reason this young man lost his life is described in verse 23, “Till the arrow struck his liver. As a bird hastens to the snare, He did not know it would cost his life.” There lies the number one problem with this young man, not the prostitute, not the archer, nor the arrow that pierced his side, but the fact that “he did not know”; period.
The Bible states †”My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” I feel sorry for this young man, did no one ever instruct him? Did someone instruct him what not to do in that situation and he just didn’t take heed? Nonetheless he was not wise, wisdom being the natural application of knowledge or judgement in action. Unfortunately, he did not know what he was walking into. This story also unveils the nature of sin, sin inevitably leads to death. Just when you feel your getting away with it, the enemy is fastening the bonds on your ankles little by little. The young man didn’t know he was in the scope of the archer, he was led by blind lust. I have learned, “Sin will always keep you longer than you want to stay and cost you more than you want to pay.” So ensure you know what you need to know before your lead down the wrong path. Do you know what I mean?
†Hosea 4:6
