Do you remember the WWJD (What Would Jesus Do?) movement?
It peaked in the 1990s, and every Christian in the know had some form of WWJD swag. The question was meant to cause people to stop and consider what Jesus would do in any given situation. As I think about the world today, I wonder if before we consider what Jesus would do in a given situation, we should stop to ask, “What does Jesus see?”
In fact, I would argue we should ask that first of ourselves, because oftentimes what we see in ourselves is much different than what Jesus sees in us. When Jesus looks at us, He doesn’t just see our behavior (good or bad). He sees each of us as someone created in the image of God, bearing His image, with a story that has been impacted by perhaps many good things, but also by sin and shame. Do we see ourselves and others with His eyes?
I think we would all agree that it is easy and natural to observe someone and assess them based on behaviors. The Bible even tells us that “Man looks at the outward appearance” (1 Samuel 16:7). However, that verse doesn’t stop there - it concludes with “but the Lord looks at the heart.” What if we stopped to ask for Jesus’ vision for others and ourselves? What would we see then?
In my seat as Care Network Director, I see many folks reaching out in times of emotional and relational struggle. In each case, when we begin to unpack their story, we find emotional wounds that typically manifest in shame.
One particular story comes to mind of a woman (we’ll call her Jenny*) who reached out because she was experiencing conflict with a sibling, causing her deep anxiety and pain. Jenny desperately wanted to repair the relationship so there could be peace and harmony in the family.
As we explored her story, it became evident that she and her sibling were dealing with hurt that manifested as shame caused by the sin of unhealthy family members. These heart wounds caused Jenny’s sibling to resent her and emotionally abuse her, even as she continued to fight for peace. She was seeking to do what she thought Jesus would do - laying down her life and her rights to reconcile.
Jenny and I talked about what Jesus sees and how this might influence what He would do. We discussed how Jesus knows everything about her story and her sibling’s story. He sees their brokenness and shame caused by the hurts and abuse of their past. We also discussed how shame causes us to hide and protect ourselves from exposure and harm.
When we considered what Jesus sees, we concluded that He sees beautiful image-bearers who have been marred by sin and shame. Only then were Jenny and I truly able to discuss, “What would Jesus do?” To answer this question, we discussed how each of us are created for dignity but impacted by the depravity of sin. In the Bible, we learn that when Jesus approaches someone to bring healing to them, He invites them to walk out of the depravity that kept them in bondage, and to walk in dignity. Though Jenny was not responsible for her sibling’s sin, she was unintentionally contributing to a pattern that allowed their brokenness to continue. When she established boundaries that promote dignity, she began to experience more peace and her sibling began to treat her with more dignity. She saw that boundaries are not punishment, but an expression of love and dignity.
This is just one example in our church of the pain and hurt we all carry because of the impacts of sin and shame. The effects of shame manifest as depression, anxiety, a critical spirit, anger, isolation, alcoholism, drug addiction, pornography addiction, adultery, self-loathing, pessimism, idolatry and in some cases even more severe mental illness. Rather than taking them to the Lord, we often suppress them or try to control them with behavior modification. We put on a mask to cover our shame and depravity. In His mercy towards us, Jesus sees through the mask and wants to do a deeper work of healing.
This Jesus who…
is the same Jesus who sees you and me as worthy of love and dignity no matter how others may have seen us in the past or see us today. This same Jesus loves and values you and me, even if we do not love and value ourselves. He proved our worth at the cross and died to redeem us from sin and shame.
So what would it look like if we truly took this to heart? What would it look like if we truly worked to see ourselves and others as Jesus sees us? It might look like a church that is made up of broken people whom Jesus is restoring for His glory. It might look like a place where we are not ashamed to share our struggles and failures so we might receive help and encouragement from others. It might look like a place where we lovingly speak difficult truths to each other so we might see the Lord free us from sin and shame. And it might look like a place where we humbly submit ourselves to the Lord to prove His glory and power in our weaknesses.
When we see what Jesus sees, we grow in compassion toward each other and ourselves, because we realize that we all have struggles that Jesus wants to work through to reveal His glory as we carry His image into our neighborhoods, schools, families, and workplaces.
So the next time you look in the mirror or see someone who may not have it all together, pause. Before you consider what Jesus would do, ask Him: what does He see? Once you have His eyes for yourself or the other person, you will have a better idea of what He would do. Love them well by walking with them from depravity to dignity, and watch the glory of God be put on display more and more in their life.
*not her real name
It peaked in the 1990s, and every Christian in the know had some form of WWJD swag. The question was meant to cause people to stop and consider what Jesus would do in any given situation. As I think about the world today, I wonder if before we consider what Jesus would do in a given situation, we should stop to ask, “What does Jesus see?”
In fact, I would argue we should ask that first of ourselves, because oftentimes what we see in ourselves is much different than what Jesus sees in us. When Jesus looks at us, He doesn’t just see our behavior (good or bad). He sees each of us as someone created in the image of God, bearing His image, with a story that has been impacted by perhaps many good things, but also by sin and shame. Do we see ourselves and others with His eyes?
I think we would all agree that it is easy and natural to observe someone and assess them based on behaviors. The Bible even tells us that “Man looks at the outward appearance” (1 Samuel 16:7). However, that verse doesn’t stop there - it concludes with “but the Lord looks at the heart.” What if we stopped to ask for Jesus’ vision for others and ourselves? What would we see then?
- Instead of unsavory behavior, we might see a wounded soul
- Instead of an angry person, we might see someone who is yearning to know someone values them
- Instead of a person who seems helpless to help themselves, we might see someone who is paralyzed by abuse and trauma
- Instead of someone who is socially awkward, we might see a beautiful image-bearer whom Jesus deeply loves
- Instead of an addict, we might see a beautiful soul that is trying to cover the deep pain of their shame
In my seat as Care Network Director, I see many folks reaching out in times of emotional and relational struggle. In each case, when we begin to unpack their story, we find emotional wounds that typically manifest in shame.
One particular story comes to mind of a woman (we’ll call her Jenny*) who reached out because she was experiencing conflict with a sibling, causing her deep anxiety and pain. Jenny desperately wanted to repair the relationship so there could be peace and harmony in the family.
As we explored her story, it became evident that she and her sibling were dealing with hurt that manifested as shame caused by the sin of unhealthy family members. These heart wounds caused Jenny’s sibling to resent her and emotionally abuse her, even as she continued to fight for peace. She was seeking to do what she thought Jesus would do - laying down her life and her rights to reconcile.
Jenny and I talked about what Jesus sees and how this might influence what He would do. We discussed how Jesus knows everything about her story and her sibling’s story. He sees their brokenness and shame caused by the hurts and abuse of their past. We also discussed how shame causes us to hide and protect ourselves from exposure and harm.
When we considered what Jesus sees, we concluded that He sees beautiful image-bearers who have been marred by sin and shame. Only then were Jenny and I truly able to discuss, “What would Jesus do?” To answer this question, we discussed how each of us are created for dignity but impacted by the depravity of sin. In the Bible, we learn that when Jesus approaches someone to bring healing to them, He invites them to walk out of the depravity that kept them in bondage, and to walk in dignity. Though Jenny was not responsible for her sibling’s sin, she was unintentionally contributing to a pattern that allowed their brokenness to continue. When she established boundaries that promote dignity, she began to experience more peace and her sibling began to treat her with more dignity. She saw that boundaries are not punishment, but an expression of love and dignity.
This is just one example in our church of the pain and hurt we all carry because of the impacts of sin and shame. The effects of shame manifest as depression, anxiety, a critical spirit, anger, isolation, alcoholism, drug addiction, pornography addiction, adultery, self-loathing, pessimism, idolatry and in some cases even more severe mental illness. Rather than taking them to the Lord, we often suppress them or try to control them with behavior modification. We put on a mask to cover our shame and depravity. In His mercy towards us, Jesus sees through the mask and wants to do a deeper work of healing.
This Jesus who…
- saw children as worthy of His time and love when others saw them as an interruption;
- saw Matthew and called him to follow Him when others saw a despised tax collector;
- saw Peter as someone He could restore and call to ministry when Peter saw himself as a failure;
- saw a woman worthy of love and dignity when others saw a woman with a shameful past;
is the same Jesus who sees you and me as worthy of love and dignity no matter how others may have seen us in the past or see us today. This same Jesus loves and values you and me, even if we do not love and value ourselves. He proved our worth at the cross and died to redeem us from sin and shame.
So what would it look like if we truly took this to heart? What would it look like if we truly worked to see ourselves and others as Jesus sees us? It might look like a church that is made up of broken people whom Jesus is restoring for His glory. It might look like a place where we are not ashamed to share our struggles and failures so we might receive help and encouragement from others. It might look like a place where we lovingly speak difficult truths to each other so we might see the Lord free us from sin and shame. And it might look like a place where we humbly submit ourselves to the Lord to prove His glory and power in our weaknesses.
When we see what Jesus sees, we grow in compassion toward each other and ourselves, because we realize that we all have struggles that Jesus wants to work through to reveal His glory as we carry His image into our neighborhoods, schools, families, and workplaces.
So the next time you look in the mirror or see someone who may not have it all together, pause. Before you consider what Jesus would do, ask Him: what does He see? Once you have His eyes for yourself or the other person, you will have a better idea of what He would do. Love them well by walking with them from depravity to dignity, and watch the glory of God be put on display more and more in their life.
*not her real name