WHAT AND HOW WOULD JESUS THINK AND SAY? by Tony Manley

I know the question “WWJD?” is or was very popular for a season a while back, but I have been asking another question…what and how would Jesus think and say…?

Frustration, anger, hurt, fear, and any other flesh emotion can lead to a thought followed by a response that does not resemble what and how Jesus would think or say. John 1:14 states that Jesus is full of grace and truth. This tells me, He did not overlook wrongs and hurts. He was present in the uglies of life, and He knew the hearts of all men – yet He was able to model for me a life of “grace and truth” perfectly and completely.
  
I am learning as an ambassador of Christ, I am privileged to represent Him as I go into circumstances or relationships. I must be willing to represent Him - deliver Him, His ways, His message, His heart. I am not commissioned to deliver me or my stuff. This leads me to want to know what and how Christ thought – how did He deal so well with criticism, rejection, wrongs, fame, popularity, or any of the other up and down ways of people? Knowing what His thoughts were reveals how He would speak. He spoke with the perfect balance of grace and truth. Seeing Christ have the hard conversations as well as the times of enjoyable interchanges with others gives me the picture of how His heart spoke truth in love, encouragement when needed, or even just testimony of His Father with others who were hungry and thirsty.

As God is growing in me a desire for an "anything" heart (one that responds quickly and without fear), I am experiencing a fresh way of living - growing a heart that thinks with the Word as my guide, which leads to speaking like Christ, and ultimately doing like Christ. 

“We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors…” 2 Cor. 5:20

“May the words of my mouth and the thoughts of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.”  Ps. 19:14

“Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador…” Eph. 6:19-20

Father, I pray I will honor Your heart and Your message as I represent You wherever I am. May You be seen and heard through me as I think “rightly,” speak “rightly,” and live out “rightly” You and Your Word. Thank You for giving me all I need to know and grow in “What and How Jesus would Think and Say.”