"What Would Jesus Do"
by Bryan Woods
January 30, 2010
On my way home the other day I was listening to one of the Christian Radio Talk Shows and a caller had called in and asked the Radio Host to comment on a recent incident in her life.
It seems that the caller was single and lonely and was considering getting a pet for companionship. I don't recall all of the details, but the caller called the office of her apartment
complex to inquire about the pet deposit. She had been told that it was quite expensive and if I recall correctly, she was inquiring about a possible reduction in the costs or maybe it was
deferment. I'm not sure. Upon inquiring to the Leasing Agent the caller was informed that yes there was a deposit required and in addition there would be an monthly increase to the
callers rent. However...the Agent continued to tell the caller that they often "looked the other way" in regards to the pet policy.
The callers question to the radio host was, "If the Apartment Complexes rules required deposits and rent increases, was it moral and ethical to accept the privilege at no cost as the
Leasing Agent had suggested?"
So the radio host posed a question to the public. "How would you determine whether or not it was sin to accept the Agents offer?"
Several callers called in to respond, and most stated that they didn't think that she should accept the offer, but no one explained why they felt it would be wrong or how they determined
that it would be wrong.
I listened to the various callers and contemplated the various reasons why I thought the offer was wrong, and what principles should be used to determine my actions.
My dad once told me that "...Anytime you ask yourself if something might be wrong, it usually is".
In the case of the caller...the agent offered to "look the other way" to allow the call to avoid cost to have her pet. The caller didn't coerce the agent in any way. There is even a
possibility that the Complex Owners allowed this as an unspoken means of advertisement (not likely, but possible), but this is just an assumption.
Without fully having all of the information, how would we determine whether our actions are sinful when the situation is unclear.
Sometimes the simplest solutions are overlooked because of their simplicity. Sometimes we just have to ask ourselves "What would Jesus do"?
This phrase is so commercialized and so often used, that the power of the words are very often missed. We see these words on key chains and necklaces, tee shirts and bible covers,
tattoo's and bumper stickers.
Jesus was creator of all things, but paid his taxes, as it was the law of the land. There are may circumstances that might and will arise in our lifetimes that are vague when it comes to
making right decisions, especially in todays society and in the eyes of mankind, but God gives wisdom to all who ask (James 1:5).
I think that we all (especially Christians) tend to compromise on so many levels when our personal desires or comfort are involved. Look at the percentages for Christian divorce.
Website: www.cic-thesource.com Email: bryan@cic-thesource.com
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