You are Special is the story about a group of people called Wemmicks. The Wemmicks are a race of small wooden people created by a woodcarver named Eli. Each Wemmick has a box of gold star stickers and a box of gray dot stickers. Those who were deemed special received a gold star sticker. Those who were not special received gray dot stickers.
Punchinello was one of those Wemmicks who always received gray dots. It didn't matter how hard he tried, he could never do anything to receive a gold star. This led Punchinello to stay home. He was embarassed to go out in public because he just wasn't a good Wemmick. When he did go out of his house, he would hang out with other gray dot Wemmicks.
One day he met a Wemmick named Lucia. Lucia was VERY different because she didn't have gold stars or gray dots. Every time someone tried to place a star on her it would fall off. The same was true of the dots, they just would not stick. Punchinello asked her why the stickers wouldn't stick. She responded by saying that every day she spends time with Eli and that if Punchinello would do the same that he would understand why.
What Punchinello discovers upon visiting Eli is that the stars and/or dots do not stick to Lucia because what the other Wemmicks believe about her doesn't matter. She had decided that what Eli believed about her was the only thing that mattered. Eli told Punchinello, "The more you trust my love, the less you care about their stickers."
Here's your lesson for today (and hopefully the rest of your life): You Get To Decide What Gets To Stick!!!
Every day of your life you will be faced with a critical choice. Will you believe what the world or others say about you OR will you choose to live you life based upon what God thinks about you? Unfortunately, there are even those within the church who do not operate out of a true understanding of the love of God. They will define you based upon sin, faults, and character defects. Yes...even in the church there will be people who will place gold stickers or gray dots upon you. You need to decide if they are going to stick or not.
Read what Dr. James Richards says about this subject: "The transformation in your thought life will not happen overnight. You did not get into the shape you are in overnight, either. It will take time and diligent effort for you to change the way you see yourself. You will be defying a lifetime of negative input. You will be resisting the negativity of the people around you. You will be confronting the religious world that would have you see yourself as 'saved, but still a sinner.'" [Taking the Limits Off God ~ Dr. James B. Richards ~ p. 75 ~ Persuading You Heart]
The only way that we will learn how to live a life defined by the love of God is when we choose to believe what His Word says about us. This means we need to talk about it, have pictures/posters with Scripture on our walls, wear bracelets or t-shirts. Do whatever we need to do to hear, see, and say the Word of God until our hearts overflow with His promises. As our hearts become persuaded with who we really are in Christ then we will live from that reality.
I often face this scenario as a pastor. There are plenty of Wemmicks standing in line to place a gray dot upon me and our fellowship. We have been considered too free in certain areas. I've even heard PBC referred to as the "Party Church". I literally laughed out loud on the last one. The point is that when people do not live in freedom, they will always question the freedom you enjoy. Jesus was called a glutton and a drunkard. He was neither. He lived by His Father's definition of Himself: "You are my Beloved Son in whom I am well pleased." Think it made a difference?
What will you allow to stick around? Will you continue to allow your life to be defined by past mistakes and failures? Are you going to allow someone else to define you? Or will you live your life in the love of God? God has a lot to say about you. You are special because He made you. The more you trust in His love, the less you care about their stickers.
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