Do What Jesus Says

WWJD--that stands for: "What would Jesus do?" It's a great question. And in the Bible we see Him do a lot of things that give us an awesome example to follow. However, the Bible is packed with even more things Jesus said--His instructions for living. So, maybe the better letters would be DWJS—"Do what Jesus says."

What Does God Say?

The "Do what Jesus says" concept first shows up in John 2. As Jesus attends a wedding with His friends and His mother, the host family runs out of wine. His mother, Mary, thinks He should do something about it. Then in John 2:5 we read, "His mother said to the servants, 'Do whatever he tells you'" (ESV). I'm not sure what she anticipated but she said the right thing--do what Jesus says.

So, what did Jesus say we're to do? Read through the Gospels, and you'll find a wealth of instruction. Let's look at just a few we can "do" each day.

Matthew 4:19: "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." (ESV)

Matthew 5:16: "Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven" (ESV).

Matthew 6:31-32: "So don't worry about these things, saying, 'What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?' These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs." (NLT)

Luke 6:27-28: "But to you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you." (NLT)

Luke 6:37-38: "Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn others, or it will all come back against you. Forgive others, and you will be forgiven. Give, and you will receive" (NLT).

Luke 17:3-4: "If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him, and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, 'I repent,' you must forgive him." (ESV)

My Thoughts

Throughout the Gospels, Jesus offers direct statements, illustrative stories or real-life examples that guide us through life. Matthew 5 and 6 is a teaching session Jesus had with His followers. Take a few minutes to read through these chapters.

• What attitudes does Jesus want you to cultivate? Which are hardest for you?
• How are you to treat other people? How well do you think you're doing with this?
• What instructions does He give for responding to those who don't treat you well?
• What does He say about your relationships with family? With people around you?
• What about your relationship with God?
• What do these actions say about your heart?

Read Matthew 7:24-27 and describe what happens when you hear and obey Jesus.

My Part

When you start "doing what Jesus says" instead of just asking what He'd do, you move from considering a suggestion ("Here's an example you might want to follow.") to obedience ("Act on my instructions."). Obedience is our positive response to God's Word to us. He speaks; we hear and we take action. And it flows out of love: when you love someone you want to do your best for him or her.

Obeying Christ shows Him that we love Him, and it's visible evidence to others as well. John 14:23-24 tells us, "Jesus answered him, 'If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father's who sent me.'" (ESV) And by the way, Jesus was our best example of obedience, too--obedient to His Father in all things, even death (Philippians 2:8).

Do a self-check: Am I doing what Jesus says? Or just wondering what He'd do? Do I obey out of love? Do I take His instructions seriously and make them part of my life? Can anyone around me tell that I'm doing what Jesus says?

If this is a new idea for you or one you struggle with, ask Jesus for His help. Remember, He also says, "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you" (Matthew 7:7, ESV).

What Does God Say?

My Thoughts

My Part