The 'What Would Jesus Do?' wrist bands have puzzled me for some time. Found in the 'Christian trinkets' section of your favourite Christian resource store, the wristband range has grown into a variety of other products: WWJD toy trucks, pencil cases, key rings, sweatbands and mobile phone straps.

My first encounter with these wristbands prompted a conversation with 8 year old Ben, who was wearing two at the time. I asked him what the band was all about. He said, it reminded him all day to try to do what Jesus would do in any situation. So, when he got into trouble at lunch time because he was arguing over a soccer game, he had to stop and ask himself, 'What Would Jesus Do?'

I've often thought of Ben and the wrist band he wore 24/7. Why does it worry me?

Firstly, it seems to me that answering the question: 'What would Jesus do?' is very difficult. Anticipating what Jesus would do was nigh on impossible for the adults who lived with him while he was on earth. Over and over again his bewildered disciples were caught off guard by what Jesus said and did. Even with this kind of intensive training, with Jesus face to face every day, and with an adult mind, WWJD? would have been too hard for the first disciples to answer.

Secondly, it may be stating the obvious, but Jesus was unique. He was, after all, the Son of God. So a lot of what he did and said asserted his uniqueness and set him apart from other humans. 

Just a few things spring to mind that would not be suitable for attempts at imitation by children: walking on water, calming a storm, insulting religious leaders, throwing around tables and driving people out of a religious meeting with a whip, rasing the dead, providing fresh alcohol at a party, refusing to talk to his mother and brothers, feeding 5,000 with a few bread rolls and fish, dying for our sin, coming back to life, ascending to his Father. All of these events, as well as his authoritative teaching, mark him as different to us and are not supposed to be imitated by us.

I think of Ben's confusion when trying to imagine what Jesus would do in a lunch-time soccer game, when it's clear that the goal was made by a cheating boy who shoved his opponent out of the way with an elbow to the ribs. WWJD? The mental gymnastics required to think that through would take Ben out of the game for a week or more! Would Jesus use the whip at that point? Would he call them whitewashed tombs? Would he share his lunch?

The other, more serious side to this issue for Ben is what he seemed to experience each day as a heavy burden of guilt at never quite being able to work out WWJD and never remotely being up to the mark. This is no joke, and could be a serious stumbling block in his spiritual development. What kind of burden has been placed on his small shoulders? What will be the effect when he is fifteen, or twenty five? Will he become angry and throw it all in and walk away from the community of God's people?

What is it that we call children to do and be as followers of Jesus? Firstly, they are to be children. Let's keep it simple. Let's allow for their natural development and the process of growing in wisdom and understanding. Let's not exasperate and embitter them.

If I could, I would design a new range of products labelled: WWPMHF? I don't think it will catch on, but I do think it's a better way for children. At the heart of Jesus' life he did everything to please his heavenly father. In his case it involved miracles, teaching, opposition and the road to the cross. Above all, he always did what pleased his heavenly Father. That is something we can all imitate.

Being a follower of Jesus means copying this attitude: What would please my heavenly Father? It's a better question; it's a good question for children, for young people, for parents, grandparents - and all the people in God's community. What would please my heavenly father? For children in particular, at their stage of development, pleasing parents is the natural way they work out what is right and wrong.

Asking this question allows us to make the next step of linking the daily life issues of children, with the core task of discipleship - seeking to please my heavenly Father. Sometimes the answer is rest and relax; sometimes it is be brave and strong; sometimes it is forgive and be kind; sometimes it is stand up for yourself and say who you belong to.

I say we round up all the ‘WWJD?’ products and trash them. What do you think?