Active Theology

Bracelets and Discipleship

Did you wear a W.W.J.D. bracelet? It’s okay, this is a safe space, be honest. 

At some point, I’m sure many of us either wore one, were tempted, or maybe felt left out of the crowd as we walked around with a bare wrist (I was one of the latter). But without a doubt, you would see those four letters and think, “What would Jesus do?”

The foundation of this question comes from passages like Galatians 2:20, where Paul says, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

But what if we took the question even further? What if it were not just what would Jesus do, but how would he live my life if he were me?

A Lineage of Imitators

In the year 400, Saint Augustine emphasized the imitation of Christ as the fundamental purpose of the Christian life. During the 1400s, Kempis wrote Imitatio Christi, one of the most influential devotionals ever written. The Prince of Preachers, Spurgeon, used the phrase “what would Jesus do” numerous times in a sermon from 1891. This idea of intertwining Jesus’ life with our own has been a foundation of the Christian faith for centuries. 

In the United States, the phrase was rebirthed in Topeka, KS, by preacher Charles Sheldon in 1896. The preacher put together a series of sermons that begged the question, “What would Jesus do?”, which would later be the inspiration for his book In His Steps. This book went on to sell 50 million copies. We are fascinated with the question and thought of what Jesus would do. 

The WWJD bracelet trend started as a grassroots effort in Holland, MI, in the 90s when a youth pastor named Janie Tinkleberg wanted to help her students remember the phrase. After reading Charles Sheldon’s book, Tinkleberg thought the students could add the WWJD bracelet to their collection of friendship bracelets. A local company produced 200 bracelets and a movement had begun as these students used it as an opportunity to share their faith with friends. 

In 1997, 15 million WWJD bracelets were sold. Other companies rushed to get in on the craze, and eventually these bracelets were sold in places like Walmart, Kmart, and Barnes and Noble. 

A Deeper Question: How Would Jesus Live My Life?

At the root of the question is a desire to follow Jesus and seriously consider how we are to live out our faith. What would Jesus do? How do we truly live in a way that shows “it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me”?

How do I let Jesus’ life flow through mine?

I love how Dallas Willard approaches this thought in his book The Divine Conspiracy…

“Another important way of putting this is to say that I am learning from Jesus to live my life as he would live my life if he were I. I am not necessarily learning to do everything he did, but I am learning how to do everything I do in the manner that He did all that he did.”¹

It’s in the Details

Willard’s approach takes the original question a step further. It is no longer “what would Jesus do?”, but now you start to consider how Jesus would go about your life with the details in mind. 

I ask myself: How would Jesus interact with my coworkers? What decisions would he make as the worship pastor at my church? How would he respond to my kids in moments of correction, joy, or hardship? 

Insert your context, relationships, and environment here and ask yourself that question: What would Jesus do if he were me?

We’re no longer just asking what Jesus would do. We’re learning to let his character shape how he would live our lives if he were us.

Now we’re getting closer to seeing how our lives intertwine with his. We’re beginning to see how Jesus’ character, teaching, and words can come to life through our lives. 

How we do go about working towards this goal? Reading Scripture and a consistent prayer life are crucial to living this out. In order to learn to live like Jesus, we have to spend time with him. We must also pray and boldly ask, “Will you help my life look more like yours?”

Walking With His Steps

Aside from my time in Scripture and prayer, I have found Footsteps With Jesus, a new app, helpful in this mission of imitating Jesus. In the app, you can follow the storyline of Jesus’ ministry (aka footsteps) as you walk your own steps. It’s as if you’re following along with his three-year ministry in real time, slowly going through each conversation, miracle, and action. And as you experience each piece of Jesus’ ministry, it’s an opportunity to consider what it looks like in your life to imitate Jesus. 

As Christians, each day is a chance to make our lives more and more like Jesus’. In 1 Corinthians 11:1, Paul writes, “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.” 

I want to boldly and confidently say to others, “imitate me as I imitate Christ”. 

I’ll be honest, some days, it’s not a “walk in the park”. It’s not always easy to follow Jesus, so we should leverage what we can to aid us in this endeavor. 

If you’re looking for a practical way to bring this to life, the Footsteps With Jesus app has helped me do just that. As you follow Jesus’ three-year ministry, day by day, step by step, you’ll be invited to reflect on what it looks like to live your own life as he would live it.

Download the Footsteps With Jesus app today and start aligning your steps with his steps.

1. Willard, Dallas. 1997. The Divine Conspiracy : Rediscovering Our Hidden Life in God. New York: HarperOne. 283. ↩︎

---

Craig is a worship pastor at Wallula Christian Church and the creator of Active Theology. He loves coffee dates with his wife, reading, and riding his bike. A few of his favorite things are third wave coffee, vanilla ice cream, and plain t-shirts.