What Would Warren Do?

Mr. Warren Buffet is a rock star in the investment world.  He is well-known for his time-tested investment practices, and his company, Berkshire Hathaway Inc., is one of the most consistently profitable worldwide.  A single share of Berkshire Hathaway common stock (A-share), which was sold for less than $10,000 in the early 1990's, is currently worth more than $120,000.  Nearly every major investment decision that he makes is immediately broadcast worldwide in minutes, if not seconds.  When Warren Buffet speaks, people listen.  He is known as the "Oracle of Omaha", and writings about him, his investment methods, and his words of wisdom abound in books, magazines, newspapers, and on the Internet.

I am not Warren Buffet.  I have neither Mr. Buffet's financial insight, nor monetary wisdom, and I have made poor investment decisions that he likely would not make under similar circumstances.  It therefore stands to reason to believe that I will be a better steward of God's material resources if I try to think like Mr. Buffet when I make major financial decisions.  Would Mr. Buffet buy or sell?  Would he build cash reserves or purchase investment property?  Would he leave his estate to his offspring or donate it to charity?  Would he buy gold, stock, or bonds?  Would he collect art or antique cars?  WWWD (What would Warren do)?

Unfortunately, I can ask all the WWWD questions, and never arrive at a proper answer.  The problem is that while I have heard about Mr. Buffet, occasionally read about Mr. Buffet, and even own an infinitesimal fraction of his company in the form of Berkshire Hathaway B share common stocks, I have never actually read any book about him or by him, have never listened to his speeches or interviews, and have never studied his company's financial statements.  WWWD?  I have not the faintest idea.

While "WWWD?" has not yet become a popular expression, "WWJD?", or "What would Jesus do?" has become a fashionable statement among Christians.  Someone just cut me off on the road - WWJD?  A friend owes me money but will not repay me - WWJD?  I need to buy a car...new or used - WWJD?  "WWJD?" became a fad expression on posters, billboards, bracelets and bumper stickers.  It sounds cool, as if you say it often enough, it makes you seem to know Jesus.

Sadly, just as I do not know much about Mr. Warren Buffet, many who glibly ask "WWJD?" do not truly know Jesus.  They may know something about Jesus, and have seen drawings of a gentle Jesus holding a young child, healing the sick, and speaking to gatherings of thousands by the sea or the hillside words of wisdom about doing good deeds and being kind.  However, do they remember that Jesus is God, who willingly became man and suffered utter humiliation and death for our sins, who rose from the dead and is in the place of highest glory?  For it was written about Jesus,


"who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."  (Philippians 2:6-11)

When we ask "WWJD?", do we know the Jesus in the book of Revelation, who not only encouraged, but also corrected and rebuked the seven churches?

When we ask "WWJD?", do we realize that Jesus' twelve disciples, after spending considerable numbers of days and nights with him, still knew little about him when he calmed the storm?  For it was written:


And the men marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?”  (Matthew 8:27)

Do we know the full picture of Jesus that is in the Bible?  Many who claim to be Christians have never read much of the Bible, and the Jesus in their minds is only the Jesus of their imaginations.  Before we ask "WWJD?", we need to make sure that we do not violate the first commandment,


“You shall have no other gods before me.  (Exodus 20:3)

Hmm, I wonder if Warren Buffet would put money on this pizza franchise....