Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. Philippians 2:5-7 ESV
When I was growing up, there was a popular acronym commonly seen on bracelets and other articles of clothing. The acronym was “WWJD”, which stood for “What Would Jesus Do?”. I think the goal of WWJD was to get Christians to try to think about what Jesus would do in the various situations in which they would find themselves. It was meant to adjust the Christian’s mindset, which is admirable.
But one of the problems with WWJD is that we don’t always know what Jesus would do. In addition, when we examine Jesus’ life, we see that He often did things that we don’t do. But isn’t that the beauty of the gospel? We failed to do what God’s holy law required, but Jesus fulfilled the whole law on our behalf. He did it willingly for us all!
WWJD can be a good thought. But it’s often the wrong question to ask. It’s presumptuous to think that we would know what Jesus would do. Don’t be guided by what you think He might’ve done. Don’t wonder, “what would Jesus do”? Instead, ask, “WDJD”, that is, “what did Jesus do?” Look to what He did! Did Jesus feel slighted as He served sinful men? No, He delighted in serving His Father and others. Let this be our mindset–one that puts God and others first. Take comfort and motivation from the fact that Jesus always did what was right. Serving wasn’t beneath Jesus. It’s not beneath you either. We aim to have His mindset. He Himself will empower you to serve out of the love that He has shown to you!
My heart abounds in lowliness, My soul with love is glowing,
And gracious words my lips express, With meekness overflowing.
My heart, My mind, My strength, My all, To God I yield, on Him I call.
The Lutheran Hymnal 421:3