when WWJD? won't do

A few weeks ago I borrowed from Dallas Willard's definition of the Kingdom of God as being that place and time where what God wants done is done.  It begs the question, of course, of what exactly it is that God wants done.  This is the same question brought up by those WWJD? bracelets of a few years ago (are they still around?).  The book in which those bracelets had their genesis was entitled, In His Steps: What Would Jesus Do? and it was written by Charles Sheldon and published in 1897.  It was a novel about people who sought to live their lives asking and answering the question in the title, thus transforming their town.

The estimates are all over the place, but anywhere from 15 to 52 million bracelets have been sold to date.  The book, to date, has sold 30 million copies.  One of the reasons the book has sold so well (it's the 9th best selling book of all time according to Wikipedia.com) is because the original publisher failed to properly register the copyright, thus giving rise to other editions from other publishers.  These publishers were able to sell the book rather cheaply and pay no royalties to its author.  I don't know about you but I'm pretty sure Jesus wouldn't do that!

This just goes to show that you can sell a lot of bracelets and books (you and millions of others can read the book and wear the bracelets), but this is no guarantee that those reading or wearing them understand the truth contained therein.  It may be a great "witness" and Christian "fashion statement" but it's rather difficult to know what Jesus would do (what God wants done) if we do not know God.

If we are to seek the kingdom of God, we will have to get to know the king of that kingdom better.  And how do we do this?  We do this through the gifts of God's word (Scripture), God's Holy Spirit dwelling with in us (via prayer and a truly Spirit-led life) and by authentic community with other brothers and sisters in Christ who hold us accountable, pray for us and support us.  If we are to truly make the treasure or pearl of the kingdom our own, let us seek to know God, his people and his word better and better.  Amen.