What Would Jesus Do? (WWJD)

Ordinary People

Ken

What does “ordinary people” mean? We want the happiness of people needing people, but we fall prey to enshrining the needs of someone other than God as the bedrock of our happiness. “Happy is that people, that is in such a case: yea, happy is that people, whose God is the LORD” (Psalm 144:15 KJV). We live in exceptional times, or as Charles Dickens wrote, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times,” in A Tale of Two Cities (1859). Our sense of “happiness” and “ordinary people” must be tied to the LORD, for Hollywood’s “Ordinary People” (1980) or Broadway’s “People” (1964) [“needing people”] are only a facsimile of the truly blessed people Jesus described. “Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3). These are the ordinary people, who are the happiest people on earth. Only when our heartfelt sympathy is defined by the LORD, then Charles Dickens’ Sydney Carton’s sacrifice for the happiness of another becomes at all significant. “It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done.” LORD, may our motivation and aspiration be of Thee, and may the world receive the benefit. In Jesus’ name. Amen. 

In His Steps

Ken

In His Steps (1896) is a Christian novel by Charles M. Sheldon, which dealt with the age old problem of homelessness. What would Jesus do (WWJD)? The homeless, jobless printer, who died in the presence of the pulpit and congregation of the fictional First Church of Raymond (Kansas), pathetically asked the congregants, What it would be like, if everyone would live out the meaning of the pastor’s text? “For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow His steps” (1Peter 2:21 KJV). Circumstances are different from person to person and from one generation to another generation; but, what would the Holy Spirit have you to do, in your circumstances that would be consistent with the meaning of the text? Remember, we are not attempting to please anyone else’s understanding of the text, not even the homeless printer in Raymond, but God alone. “What wilt Thou have me to do?” (Acts 9:6 KJV).