5 more theologically helpful alternatives to WWJD

I’m a 90s kid. That meant Tamagotchi, pogs, the GameBoy colour, and of course, rainbow WWJD wrist bands.

WWJD, for the uninitiated, simply means ‘What Would Jesus Do?’ The idea was that in given morally challenging situation, you would stop and think, ‘hey what would the Big JC… [sorry, 90s kid!] do right now?’ Then you’d proceed to do that thing.

It’s not a bad plan, right? A little tool that makes us stop and think about a godly way to respond is a great idea – especially if we’re prone to shoot from the hip online! There are, however, a couple of issues with this too.

What’s wrong with plain ol’ WWJD?

My instinct is if we already know Jesus well then these problems probably aren’t really problems. But as it’s a concept we’ve used a lot with young people, I’m going to assume that isn’t the case. So, here are four problems:

First, we don’t always know what Jesus would do! He had this bonkers habit of behaving in precisely a way that people couldn’t guess. Religious people also seemed to be the least likely to figure out exactly what that would be. I’m not convinced we’re any better at this today! Popping Jesus out of the 1^st Century and dropping Him indiscriminately onto nowadays is always going to be problematic.

Second, it re-crafts Christian living as a moralist set of actions. Don’t get me wrong, living filled with the Holy Spirit means growth and healthy changes in behaviour – but these come as the overflow of a relationship with Jesus. It’s hard to even form this relationship, however, if the only way you know Him is as some kind of ethical litmus test.

Third, it subtly remakes Jesus in our image. By regularly asking WWJD we are growing a mental muscle that sees Jesus through the lens of our lives and experiences rather than His (which is odd when you think of the question itself!) The more we do this the more we shape Him around us – rather than the other way around.

Fourth, it buys into a purity culture that’s always been unhelpful to Christian youth work. I’m all about helping young people make solid relationship choices – and celebrating the sacred place of marriage. Yes! However, chastity rings, abstinence pledges, books like ‘I kissed dating goodbye’, and awful guilt-inducing metaphors have always diluted the nature of grace. Do you remember the ‘sticky tape and the fluff’? What about the wedding altar and all the ex-girlfriends standing around you? This has made Jesus out to be a fearful father figure to appease. There are better ways of teaching holy living without this culture of fear.

I think each of these issues shapes a growing relationship with Jesus in really unhelpful ways. And this is probably a good illustration of exactly why healthy theology is important in developing healthy practice. Let’s have crack at some alternatives then.

5 Alternatives to WWJD

WDJD

What did Jesus do? Or even WHJD (What has Jesus done?).

Jesus came to Earth to empathise, be with, and save us. He lived a perfect life, died on a cross in our place, rose again defeating death, and ascended into heaven to take a seat on the throne and prepare a place for us. That’s what Jesus did. That’s what our relationship with Him – and our daily life – is based on. Knowing this helps us know His heart, His power, His faithfulness, and it helps us grow with Him so we will then become more like Him.

HDJL

How did Jesus live?

This is similar to the above but focuses on the tangible stories of Jesus’ life that we have in the Bible. This needs us to know His story better and makes being like Him a whole-lifestyle thing, rather than an arbitrary single-moment action thing.

WWJD

What will Jesus do?

Jesus will come back one day and collect us to be with us in Heaven for eternity. In those morally challenging moments, I find it really helpful to think about the long game and the big picture. He is coming back; He will take me to heaven. Everything will – eventually – be ok.

WWJL

Who would Jesus love?

Jesus loved the world. He sat with beggars, tax collectors, outcasts, and prostitutes. He walked with the wounded, the broken, and those in poverty. He even spoke lovingly with conspiracy theorists, lunatics, and young children. Who did He love, who would He love, who does He love, are all great questions for us to navigate a world of the unlovely.

AJ

A bit simple, but just ask Jesus.

I sometimes ask my young people ‘what did God say when you asked Him?’ when they ask me questions. It assumes a growing and important relationship with God. When we try to guess how Jesus would act, it leaves us to decide – so why not just ask Him instead?