One of the many phrases floating around in society is “What would Jesus do?” Usually this is used as a guiding moral question, and I rather like the idea. After all, most (though perhaps not all) Christians try to live their lives as similarly to Jesus as possible (in principle, not literally; I don’t know of anyone that’s actively trying to walk on water or anything). As I’ve considered this question and its implications in my own life, however, I’ve found that the principle is powerful but the scope is limited.

The question “What would Jesus do?” helps me in situations where the options are more discrete, with the two sides clearly delineated and everything seemingly black and white. It forces me out of any morally grey area I’m lounging in, and reminds me that in a choice between good and bad, I should probably choose the good. In a decision between helping someone in need or ignoring them and continuing on my way, it helps to remember that Jesus would stop and help, no matter the personal inconvenience.

In more ambiguous situations, however, this principle loses a lot of its power. When I’m trying to decide between two good things (or, more likely, two not-bad things), asking what Jesus would do doesn’t really give me the insight I’m looking for. If I were a good person (lol) trying to decide if I should tutor orphans in math or if I should work in a soup kitchen instead, asking what Jesus would do isn’t as helpful. What would he do? Probably both, and then a bit extra, plus a little miracle here and some profound doctrinal teaching there. I don’t feel capable of all that, so I’m left in the same position as before, with no idea as to the best course of action.

To remedy this, I rethink the question: rather than asking “What would Jesus do?” I prefer to ask “Would Jesus do this with me?” You might say this is an equally unhelpful question when considering the previous example, as he would both tutor orphans and work in a soup kitchen with me, so I would still be in the same position as before, but there is an important difference. Asking what Jesus would do gives the impression, subtle though it may be, that we are expected to do exactly as he would, that we need to be as perfect as he is in our decision-making (a clear impossibility for most of us laypeople). In contrast, asking if Jesus would participate with us in our decision takes away the pressure of perfectionism, and allows us to be confident that our efforts are, though not perfect, good enough. We should still try to make the best decisions we can, and we shouldn’t settle for inferior options, but knowing that Jesus would accompany us in our activities is a powerful assurance, and it has helped me many times when I’ve found myself unsure of how to proceed. So the next time you find yourself unsure of a decision, instead of worrying too much about what exactly Jesus would do, consider whether or not he would do it with you.

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