WWJD?

This morning, Tozer’s devotional says that Christianity is the religion of the divine example and bids his readers to “Ask yourself what would Jesus do if He were here?”

This echoes a book by that title, shortened to WWJD? This acronym was put on bracelets, t-shirts, etc. to remind Christians to ask themselves that question and govern their lives accordingly.

Personally, I’ve not found that question very helpful. I do pray for the Lord to guide me but have learned that I cannot predict what He will do; I’ve never been able to second-guess God. In other words, most of the time I’ve no idea what Jesus would do.

However, there are clues. The Bible tells the attitudes of Jesus. He is forgiving, loving, hates sin and so on. I’m supposed to think like He thinks. By that, I often can figure out what I should do based on His attitudes.

For instance, the following passage describes the heart of a Christian who loves Jesus and wants to do what He would do. It parallels an almost identical passage in Ephesians showing that these thoughts and behaviors are what I would be thinking and doing when filled with the Holy Spirit . . .

“Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” (Colossians 3:12–17)

Because of these verses, I can figure out what Jesus would do if another believer is in trouble, or has sinned, or is bragging, or is irritating. I can figure out what Jesus would do if someone is acting in ignorance or grumbling. I can also figure out what Jesus would do if I were given a ghastly chore or someone took advantage of me. Nearly every situation of conflict and other problems has an answer in the above passage.

Life poses other questions, however. Some are more vital than others. For instance, where should I work? What kind of coat should I buy? How often do I take a vacation? What should I have for supper? Some Christians would say we are to use common sense — even though that commodity is not as common as they suppose. Others say if you are not willfully sinning you can do whatever you want to do. I’m a bit leery of that too because my ‘I-wants’ can take me down a slippery slope.

Instead, I prefer the first choice of having the attitudes of Jesus Christ. These flow out of being filled with the Spirit and having His Word richly implanted in my head and heart. Knowing the power of sin, this is no guarantee that all choices will be perfect, yet He makes this promise:

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” (Proverbs 3:5–6)

Besides, thinking I know what Jesus would do can be spiritual pride, a form of trusting my own understanding. Far better to go to Him in humility that I haven’t a clue what to do but do know He will guide me. The outcome is usually a surprise — not contrary to His Word yet nevertheless an answer that I’d not have figured out on my own.

^^^^^^^^

Jesus, You tell me to follow You like a child takes the hand of her father having no clue where the path will lead but trusting that daddy knows best because he always does. I do not always need to know WWJD, only to humbly hold tight to Your faithful hand.

My eternal heart

Nothing has been as stressful as having my heart acting up. Two years ago, I required three cardio-versions. That is, the ER put me out and used paddles to jolt my heart back to the correct rhythm. Even with anesthetic, I don’t want to ever experience that again. So I am on three meds that make my heart beat slowly and steadily.
 

A week ago, my doctor suggested that I cut in half the morning dosage of one of those pills. For three days, I enjoyed greater energy and no shortness of breath, but then my heart began that odd, irregular beat. I thought it might be a coincidence, but went back to the full pill just in case. After a few days of keeping me awake, it is now behaving itself.

During all of this, the Lord has given me a passage of Scripture that is both a comfort and a prayer. . .

Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. (Psalm 73:25–26)

It is also true and today reminds me of another idea. I’m thinking how God made me in His image that I might reflect Him. This reality has captured my imagination and my desire. There is no one else that can do this in my life. I might pick up the habits and manner of speech of those close to me, or try to imitate someone that I admire, but God is the only one who can transform me and His people into new creations.

And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. (2 Corinthians 3:18)

This is why I have assurance of my destiny. My flesh and my heart will eventually fail, but right now and for all eternity, God is the strength of my heart. He is that one that gives me a heart to love Him and image Him, to consider Him the desire of life, even the desire of death. He makes me new, transforming my life. The final goal is totally incredible. . .

See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure. (1 John 3:1–3)

For this reason, what my physical heart does might throw me into a fright, but when I remember the promises of God and the fact that seeing Him makes me like Him, I get excited. Instead of being in a panic, I am filled with hope and anticipation!

Trusting God when hearts fail

One year ago, I was put on medication to slow my heart rate. The heart clinic found that one chamber was enlarged, caused by a leaky valve. Was this unchanged from the effects of two childhood bouts with rheumatic fever? Or a new thing brought on by aging or other factors? Either way, my heart began acting up and put me in the hospital three times for cardio-version, a scary experience involving electricity and paddles. 

During that time, and even before then, the following verse became a favorite:

My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. (Psalm 73:26)

Now my heart is strongly beating. My blood pressure is 114/50 and I only need to watch my salt intake to keep things the way they should be. Even with good health, I often say this verse in gratitude to the God who is the strength of my heart.

Today’s devotional writer applies this verse to a completely different situation; the loneliness of Jesus’ mother, Mary. He mentions how the day comes for every mother to let go of her child, to make room for others in her son’s or daughter’s heart. Two of my children were married last year, but I’ve never considered this the “loss” of a son and daughter, but a “gain” of a daughter and son-in-law. Nevertheless, they give themselves and much of their time and energy to their spouses. A letting-go is important so they might establish their own homes and deepen their new relationships.

The writer says that a mother’s loneliness is related to the depth of passion of her children. That is, the more deeply involved the children are with their new lives, the more she will feel alone and left behind. He says to multiply this ten thousand times considering the absorbing passion of the Son of God in His ministry and then understand the deep loneliness of Mary. 

I’m not sure this connection is valid, at least not for me. Aware of the problems caused by mothers who refuse to “let go” of their children, I’ve made deliberate effort and decisions to release them into the care of God, not when they married but much earlier than that. Who can control their adult children? Who has the right to dictate or demand their actions? Love means letting them live their own lives without interfering. 

Not only that, it has been important to learn the reality that God is the strength of my heart. I love my children and my spouse, but not even family can fill that biggest empty space. Family cannot take care of all my needs, emotional or otherwise. Only God can sit in that place. 

Today’s devotional also describes the loneliness of helplessness as Mary watched her Son live out God’s purpose for Him. The writer points out that she could not “blast… his slanderers when they said he had a devil and was mad” and was “utterly powerless to keep him silent when every word was ringing out his death-knell.” How must she have felt standing at the cross and seeing him “nailed there and hear the exceeding bitter cry he cried” and how could “any loneliness be worse than that?” 

I’m not sure what I would have felt in her place. I do know that love as a mother means learning to put my children in the hands of God. He is also their heavenly Father and the ruler of the universe. He can take care of them just as He takes care of me. He is not only the strength of my heart, but responsible for the ones that my heart loves deeply. Love does not demand that I have any say in their lives.

Mary may have been “the loneliest woman in the world” but I’m not sure of that she was nor that Jesus’ passion for His calling had anything to do with it if she was. Because God gives me grace to trust Him with my children, certainly Mary also knew that grace. She could watch and weep, but she could also trust and pray. Perhaps she could rejoicing even when her heart’s greatest joy faltered and then died because she knew that God was the strength of her heart and her portion forever.

To Live is Christ — trusting in His will

I have an arterial fibrillation in my heart that is aggravated by caffeine. I’ve never drunk coffee, colas or anything with caffeine in it until a couple years ago. I tried a vanilla cola twice and wound up in emergency — twice, until I made the connection and stopped drinking it.

Since then, I’ve been okay, until Monday night. We were out for supper and I had a lava cake. Dark, rich chocolate. My heart went crazy. Irregular beats and blood pressure jumping all over the place. It helped having a nurse living in our house. She called our local medical hotline and the advice was to take it easy, let it settle down. If A happened, call my doctor. If B happened, call 911.

Last night my heart rate was still fast but not irregular. I slept extra hours. During all of this, I kept thinking of a verse that tells it like it is, but also gives me hope. 

My flesh and my heart fail; but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. (Psalm 73:26)

Whenever I’ve had any health issues, from the threat of a simple cold to something more serious, I’ve talked to the Lord about it like this: “Lord, if this is part of Your will for me, I am willing to accept it. (I have to mean this.) However, if it isn’t, then You know what to do.” Many times, the attack on my body simply vanished.

I’m praying this way again. God is the great Physician. He could stop this goofy heart irregularity in a moment. He is also wise beyond my understanding. He may want me in the medical center, or the hospital or an ER room. He can make that known to me and get me on the phone. I’m paying attention to my heart, but also the One who is the strength of my heart.

The verses from my devotional are about the heart too, but in a different sense. This is about my attitude and not my physical blood pumper . . .  

But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed. For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. (1 Peter 3:15–17)

Setting God apart in my heart is about putting Him first. It is about listening to what He says, doing what He wants me to do, and being willing to speak out about the hope that He gives me without fear of any persecution.

Jesus never got sick, so I don’t have that model to show me how to think or act concerning this heart problem. However, He is the rock, my fortress and deliverer. He is able to show me and my doctors what to do, giving all of us wisdom and skill. Because of that, I put my hope in His will concerning me.