When “What Would Jesus Do?” Meant Following Him at Any Cost

Today in Church History: January 22

Charles M. Sheldon, author of In His Steps, is best remembered for popularizing a simple but searching question: “What Would Jesus Do?” Though often reduced to a slogan decades later, Sheldon originally intended the question to confront Christians with the cost of genuine discipleship. His novel was not about sentiment; it was about obedience. The question WWJD was never meant to be worn. It was meant to be lived.

A question rooted in Scripture, not sentiment

Long before bracelets and necklaces, Scripture already asked the question plainly. Jesus said, “If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me” Luke 9:23. He did not invite people to admire Him, but to imitate Him. He did not call for agreement alone, but obedience. “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments” John 14:15. WWJD, rightly understood, is simply another way of asking: Are we actually following Jesus or merely talking about Him?

A personal moment that shaped a life

On my first date with my now-husband, I was wearing a necklace with the letters WWJD. Sitting across from me at lunch, he noticed it and asked what it meant. I told him, “What Would Jesus Do?” and explained that it was a reminder that every decision we make should be shaped by Christ's example. I was only 23 years old. I was not yet born again, though God’s grace was already at work in my life. (That fuller story is in my book.) But even then, I believed that following Jesus meant allowing Him to shape every part of life. My husband got very serious, looked me in the eyes, and said, “You were sent to me by an angel. I have been praying for a woman like you my entire life.”

We have been together almost 27 years. Jesus is the center of our marriage, and that question is very close to our hearts: WWJD?

When WWJD moves from jewelry to the heart

When WWJD is reduced to a slogan, it becomes harmless. But when it is taken seriously, it becomes disruptive. We ask it in marriage. We ask it with money. We ask it in conflicts. We ask it in the grocery store. We ask it when engaging the lost. We ask it when discipling others. Scripture does not leave this vague. It shows us plainly how Jesus lived: humble, sacrificial, truthful, compassionate, obedient to the Father, committed to prayer, present with people, and relentless in calling others to repentance and new life Philippians 2:5-8; Matthew 9:35-38; John 17. Following Jesus was never meant to be compartmentalized, it in every aspect of our lives: WWJD

WWJD and the life of the church

This question also presses us to examine how we understand the church itself. Scripture describes the church not as a place people attend, but as a people who live as family on mission together. They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, fellowship, prayer, the breaking of bread, and caring for one another’s needs Acts 2:42-47. The church gathered around tables and communion. They shared meals and resources. They trained disciples and sent them out. They cared for the poor and proclaimed the gospel. This was not a program; it was a way of life.

WWJD forces us to ask not only how Jesus would behave individually, but how He intended His people to live together. Jesus did not build a brand. He formed a body. He did not call the spectators. He made disciples and gave all His people a commission, Matthew 28:18-20.

A narrow and costly road

Jesus warned that the road that leads to life is narrow, and few find it Matthew 7:13-14. That path has always gone against the grain of cultural and religious culture, included. WWJD is not about comfort. It is about faithfulness. It asks whether we are willing to follow Scripture over modern expectations. Whether we are willing to obey when it costs us approval. Whether we are willing to live visibly for Christ rather than safely among Christians. The goal is not perfection. The goal is surrender.

Conclusion: Wearing the question where it matters most

Charles Sheldon did not give the church a marketing phrase. He reintroduced a question that Scripture has always demanded.

What Would Jesus Do?

Not as a trend, but as a way of life. The letters do not belong on merchandise. They are written on our hearts. When they are, they will lead us again and again back to Christ, back to Scripture, and back to a faith that is lived, not merely going to church but Being The Church Christ called us to be, and it will cost us!