Join the Adventure Where God Is Working

Years ago, WWJD bracelets were quite popular. WWJD stood for “What Would Jesus Do”—a saying that did not sound quite right to me.

As I mulled over my unease with this saying, I realized that “would” is in the past tense. That means the question of WWJD is, “What would Jesus do if he were here?” The underlying assumption is that Jesus is not here—that he is not now present.

At the conclusion of Matthew’s Gospel (28:20), Jesus promises,

“Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

So, Jesus is present, and we should acknowledge his presence.

Perhaps the abbreviation should be WIJD – “What IS Jesus Doing?” The aim would be to discover where He is at work now, to join Him in His work.  

Let’s listen to Luke as he introduces us to some people in the first couple of chapters of his Gospel account. Imagine that Luke is our narrator.

Luke 

“My name is Luke. I am a medical doctor and also a companion and fellow worker with the apostle Paul. 

“In the Bible, you will discover two books I wrote for my good friend and brother, Theophilus. The first of these books you call the Gospel according to Luke; the second you call the Acts of the Apostles. Not only were the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit at work in the events recorded in those books, but the Trinity was also at work in the writing of those books. I was invited to join God in that great enterprise, and I’m so thankful I said ‘Yes!’

“I set to work interviewing eyewitnesses and examining records. As you know, I open my Gospel account with these words (Luke 1:1-4): 

Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word.  Therefore, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.

Who were some of these eyewitnesses?

Mary

“One of the eyewitnesses was Mary, the mother of Jesus.

“What an outstanding woman! Her knowledge of Scripture and her experience of God were unique in so many ways. I listened to Mary as she related the events I recorded in the first two chapters of my Gospel account.

“One of these events was the appearance of the angel Gabriel (1:26-35). She related Gabriel’s words and her response as if they had just happened. She repeated Gabriel’s words, so I could write them down:

“The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.”

“She willingly provided herself to God as that pure vessel in which the miracle of the ages took place—God entered into full humanity in the womb of Mary. (See: “What If Mary Had Said ‘No’”).

“She also told me about the trip to Bethlehem, the birth, and the visit of the shepherds (2:1-20). (See: “Why Shepherds at Bethlehem”).

“Mary realized God was at work, and she willingly cooperated and participated with Him in His work.”

Simeon

“Mary also told me about an old man, Simeon. Unfortunately, he was long dead by the time I could track down the story—but Mary verified it (2:21-40).

“When Simeon was younger, the Holy Spirit revealed that:

“he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.”

“Now you understand the importance of that, don’t you? God promised Simeon that he would see the Anointed One who, to the Jews, is called the Messiah, and to the non-Jews or Gentiles, is called the Christ. Christ is the promised Savior, God and King, not only for Israel but also for the whole world.

“When Jesus was eight days old, Mary and Joseph entered the Temple in Jerusalem to fulfill the requirements of the Law regarding a firstborn son. At the same moment, Simeon was moved by the Spirit and went to the Temple. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took [Jesus] in his arms and praised God, saying,

“Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace.

For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people,

a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.”

“I suppose that when Simeon was moved by the Spirit, he could have said ‘No.’ Perhaps he could have complained that he wanted to lie in bed a bit longer (after all, he was an old man), or he could have said, ‘It’s not my day for Temple duty,’ or a thousand-and-one other excuses—but he chose to cooperate with God and participate in what He was doing in the world.

“I hope I’m not pressing my point too firmly—after all, God was fulfilling His promise to Simeon that day. Yet consider that Simeon not only saw ‘the Lord’s Christ,’ he also held him and participated in the offering, circumcising, and naming of Jesus—all because he said ‘Yes’ to the invitation of the Spirit.”

You

If Luke were speaking to you, he might continue with these words:

“Now, before I close, let me make my point to you.

“You live 2,000 years later and probably on the other side of the planet—and still, God is at work—calling people to cooperate with Him and participate with Him in what He is doing in the world.”

The issue for you is no different than it was for me, Mary, Simeon, and countless others.

You can say, “No, I’ve got to do ‘this’ or ‘that,’” or a thousand-and-one other things and miss the opportunity of a lifetime. Or, you can choose to cooperate with God and participate in what He is doing in the world. 

The choice is yours. 

Will you join the adventure where God is working?

Click here to listen to the audio version (6:50)

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