You’re Special
There is a giant blank wall in our sitting room. I have left it untouched for the project I am slowly (very slowly) working on. As a photographer, I would love to see one of my best works on that wall.
In addition to filling the blank wall and complementing the atmosphere, my hope is twofold. Firstly, the subject will speak for itself. That it will leave new impressions of itself upon the viewer. Secondly and less importantly, the portrait will speak of the skill of the photographer, simply as a way of freely advertising my photography abilities.
All Christians (collectively) - that is people who have seen their ugly contribution to the gospel, people who have asked and received God’s forgiveness, people who have turned from everything and anything contrary to what they now pursue, to be obedient followers of the reigning king, Jesus of Nazareth - are in God’s sight a very special possession.
Christians are to God the very best of God’s works. In other words, the deeper you look into the Christian life or the deeper you grow in it, you grow to appreciate how marvelous are the redeemed and how great is the redeemer.
“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light.” 1 Peter 2:9
God has intentionally and purposefully chosen you, Christian. He has set you apart from the rest of creation for a special task - to be God’s instruments and agents for His mission. He has given you a unique, heavenly status of holiness at no price. All this God has and continues to do in us, through us, and for us - for our joy in His glory.
But that’s not how (as a Christian) I feel, let alone as the church. That is not how it looks like. True as that objection may be as far as sanctification is considered. But that does not cancel out what God says and sees of us. He sees both our sanctification process and the complete work of His son in His right hand. We must therefore also labor over and above our feelings to see and treasure what God sees and treasures - His complete work in us who are in Christ.
Christian, you are special. I would not know the full meaning of that phrase as used by my wife if I had not spent time with her and allowed her to show me what she means when she says I am special to her. Both her saying it, and her showing it to me in how she serves and admires me, truly makes me feel special. And in the moments when I do not feel like it, I know it to be true because she has proved it to me over and over again.
You will not see how special (in the right manner) you are to God if you do not lend Him your ear and your time for Him to show it to you. Be sure to secure for yourself the quality and quantity of time to hear from God and to receive from God. In addition, let me encourage you Christians, to always approach the Word of God primarily from what God has done before considering how you ought to respond. Allow God to first serve you, before you may consider how to serve Him (Matt 20:28). You are special to him. He takes delight in serving you.
