It happened to be a Saturday evening when all the ties at Belk’s were on sale. That proved fortuitous as I was preaching the next day at a church in Gastonia, NC, and I would be following that church’s protocol by wearing a coat and tie for the services. However, I had failed to bring a tie with me so there I was at Belk’s searching through piles of ties on multiple tables trying to find an appropriate tie that was reasonably priced. I found such a tie (reduced to $5.16 – perfect) and made my way to the checkout counter.
The sales clerk rung me up and then asked, “What’s with the purple wristband?” I responded, “This wristband reminds me about my faith,” and I proceeded to explain. The wristband consists of five elements, two of which I’ll cover here. The first element is the color purple, selected because it represents royalty and Jesus is the King of kings and the Lord of lords. In fact, He is the Lord of my life and I live to serve Him. Simple enough.
The second element contains four letters and a question mark – WDJD? This is a take off on the initiative that swept through the American church a few years back that used the letters WWJD. These letters stood for What Would Jesus Do? The idea was that when you as a Christian encountered life’s decisions, challenges, opportunities, etc., you were to stop and ask yourself, “What would Jesus do in this situation,” and then act accordingly. Why I appreciate the sentiment and intent of this initiative, I was always a bit troubled by its theology.
Jesus had a calling in His earthly life that was much different than mine so the question that seems more on target for my life might be this: What Should I Do in Light of What Jesus Has Done for Me. That would be WSIDILOWJHDFM? That’s a bit over the top and impossible to remember so I have settled on WDJD – What Did Jesus Do? This short phrase is a reminder of my faith and serves as an accountability tool, and it also points to the central message of the Gospel. As such, it serves as a faith sharing tool. If you can answer the question, What Did Jesus Do, you can share the Gospel, and if you can answer the question, What Did Jesus Do for me, you can share your personal testimony.
I invite you to spend some time reading through the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John to get a solid grip on the answer to the question, What Did Jesus Do? In addition, kraft your personal story by answering the question, What Did Jesus Do for me? These two simple steps will be foundational to your sharing your faith in terms of its objective truths and its subjective applications in your life.
The Apostle Peter encourages us, “In your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you” (1 Peter 3:15 ESV). Are you honoring Christ by being able tell His story and yours? WDJD?
