Charles M. Sheldon wrote what has become a “classic” novel in 1896 called In His Steps. In short, the book told of a preacher who challenged the congregation where he preached to commit to a year of total submission of walking in the steps of Jesus. The challenge was to pause before making any decisions and ask “what would Jesus do” in that particular situation. The book tells of the drastic changes that took place in the lives of those who submitted to this challenge.
One writer pointed out that Sheldon’s idea would not work in the real world because of a fundamental flaw in the thesis. The book presents people making decisions on the spot, or on the spur of the moment. But the reality is that the book never presents the fact that to walk in Jesus’ steps was to adopt His total lifestyle. In other words, what Jesus did when on the spot was simply a continuation of what He did when not on the spot. If people are to follow “In His Steps,” it must be a life, not an “on the spot” answer to a situation faced.