A movie I was watching featured a popular detective known for his ability to solve difficult cases. A street cop walks up with some pertinent information. The street cops says to the detective, “I love your work and would love to be on the ’Special Cases Task Force’.” The detective responds, “If you want to be on the ’Special Cases Task Force’, then go out and do something special.”
This is an effective principle to use in the work force or in the educational arena. It’s a principle that will help you get noticed by others to move up a corporate ladder or to build a solid business. It will work to create great relationships. But there is one area it will not work. There is a ’Special Cases Task Force’ that you have been invited to join, or already on, that didn’t require you to do anything special. Of course I’m talking about the Body of Christ.
If it required us to go out and do something special then none would be saved. None of us would have any hope of eternal life with Christ. None of us would have any hope of redemption. Our lives would be an endless cycle of trying to do better or be better. And the more we would try the more we would be discouraged and depressed. And if there was any goodness or positive change in us, it could very well give us a hard heart of self-righteousness.
Forever believing we are loved by God, without doing anything special, is foundational for us to have a successful Christian life. Experiencing this uncompromising love of God frees us from fear, stress, worry, and any other emotion that we were not designed to carry. It frees us from the mindset of not being good enough to be used by the Lord, for the good of His Kingdom. As Christians we are on a ’Special Cases Task Force’. We have been given good works to do that are uniquely different from anyone else. But we will consistently retreat in we don’t have full confidence that God fully and completely loves us.
We are special to God. The Word says: we are created in His image. As Jesus is, so are we. We have the mind of Christ. Nothing can separate us from the love of God. He restores our soul. He will provide all of our needs. He cares for us affectionately and watchfully. We can boldly stand before the throne of grace in our time of need. He has given us love, joy and peace. And most of all, He sent His Son, Jesus, to pay the price we should pay for our sin. No matter who you are or what you have done, this makes you special.
Next Level Thinking embraces God’s love and uses that love to counter any thought contrary. It uses God’s love as the foundation to fulfill the “Special Tasks” we have been given.