(1 Corinthians 1:26-31)
If you’ve never seen The Lego Movie, or it’s been a while since you have, it’s time to do yourself a favor and watch it. The main character, Emmet, lives a very basic life, until he discovers the “Piece of Resistance.” Unbeknownst to him, a prophecy declared the finder of this item to be “the Special. Over the course of the movie, Emmet is joined by Master Builders (those with the ability to build without needing any instructions), who help him face the villain, Lord Business, whose goal is to eventually control everything by freezing it into place with his ultimate weapon, the “Kragle.”
What is noticeable about Emmet is this: that there’s nothing noticeable about Emmet. He’s as plain as can be. There’s nothing special about him. By society’s standards, he doesn’t stand out. He’s just average – the type of guy others would easily walk all over on their way to achieving the world’s version of success. He’s naive about how ordinary he is until he sees video of others describing him, each of whom concludes that there’s nothing special about him. That realization presents the ongoing conflict throughout the movie, which seeks to reconcile how a nobody can be “the Special.”
What’s humorous in an animated movie is actually the reality for every believer. In his letter to the Corinthians, Paul emphasizes two truths that seem to be at odds with each other, but which can actually stand side by side in Christ. We are nothing. We are special.
It is the first of those paradoxical statements that has prompted many to lobby against Christianity. They view it as a source of child abuse or trauma, and argue that Christians shouldn’t be able to “brainwash” children, because it causes them emotional harm and diminishes their self-worth and self-confidence.
Perhaps that’s how they would interpret these words from Paul: “Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth” (v.26). While it may sound as if Paul is talking down to his readers, he is simply reminding them of all of the merit, achievements, accomplishments, value, importance, etc. that every person naturally brings before God on their own, which is… none. Nothing. God didn’t come for those who think they’re something apart from him, but for those who know the truth: our sinful self fails to bring anything of value before God, and instead brings only that which is detestable. That may be a hard word.
But is the world’s alternative more effective? When children are raised with an inflated sense of self, when they can do no wrong, when parents convince them that they are the top award getter in every category, do those children turn out better?
What happens when they aren’t selected as the class valedictorian? What happens when someone else is awarded the scholarship? What happens when they don’t get hired or get passed over for the promotion by someone more qualified? What happens when their perfect marriage ends in divorce? If raised with an inflated sense of self, if quarantined from failure, if shielded from any adversity, they end up with not just a jaded view of the world, but with question marks about themselves.
But Paul’s words provide the proper framework where such disillusionment doesn’t exist. He makes a point of being brutally honest with us from the start, so that we don’t in any way misunderstand why God would choose us. He explains it in more detail. “But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him” (v.27-29).
Aha! If God wanted to make it clear to man that man could never do right by God on his own, here’s how you do it! Choose the nothings and the nobodies over the somethings and the somebodies! In other words, God passes over those the world might consider to be ideal candidates when picking his team, and chooses the least qualified, so that there’s no question about who’s most deserving – no one! Everyone equally has this in common: nothing to brag about.
How much does this go against the way we naturally operate in our world? We are preoccupied with demonstrating to others that we’re something. We need others to know that we’re not just average. We’re not nobodies. We’re not like everyone else. We’re special. And we are determined to let others know.
We post filtered and AI-filtered photos because the real us is too… average. The new car isn’t just a matter of a midlife crisis, but a reminder to others that we’re doing fine financially. The trip is less about where I am traveling and more about others knowing that I’m traveling. I share the amazing stuff my company does, not because I’m talking them up so much as I am letting everyone know that I have an amazing job. My kids are in this, that, and the other thing, while yours are glued to screens. Whatever it takes – just so long as you remember that I’m somebody.
But what do such efforts really demonstrate? Don’t they reveal an inner disbelief in God’s own words? Don’t they express a denial of what God has clearly stated about us – that we were “foolish,” “weak,” “lowly,” “despised,” “things that are not?” God says we were all of those things (in addition to calling us dead, blind, enemies elsewhere in Scripture!), yet our lives are a constant hamster wheel of “I’ll show you how wrong you are, God.”
You may think it’s harmless or inconsequential that we operate this way, with this attitude, but it’s much more serious than that. It is potentially damning. Why? Because what is the root cause of such thinking? “There’s not really that much wrong with me. I’m really not so bad. I don’t really need help or saving from anyone else – not even you, God. So, you can keep your Jesus, and I’ll just keep on showing in one way or another that I’m not really the type of loser he came for.” Is there any more dangerous place we could ever be than there???
Then stop pushing back against Paul’s words and repent! Acknowledge what he says about you and about me is true. Even on our best day, we don’t come close to attaining the perfection necessary to categorize ourselves as special.
Instead, in faith, we can step off the hamster wheel and stop trying to counter our insecurities by proving we’re something to others. God doesn’t need you to be something before he can work in you. God is the one who makes us something in the first place.
Take that reality one more step and realize what it means if we can’t ever achieve God’s impossible standards. If we could, then he would be obligated to pick us for his team. He would have to, because we would have met the expected requirements.
But, since no one (aside from our Substitute, Jesus!) can ever meet those impossible standards, then it can only mean one thing that I was brought into his family of believers: he chose me! God has chosen me because, well… he wanted to. He loves me! He wasn’t forced or obligated to write my name in his Book of Life; rather, he chose me.
I am not a believer because he saw potential in me. I am not a believer because God knew I’d make a difference in his kingdom. I’m not a believer because I’m an all-around good guy.
I’m a believer, and you are a believer, because God chose you. And in doing so, he displays to the rest of the unbelieving world that God brings us into his family of faith, not because of our own effort or merit, but because of his grace. And here is what that grace means for us: “It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption” (v.30).
Is there any achievement you can unlock that could ever confer on you any title greater than those three – righteous, holy, and redeemed? Never. But that is exactly what you are “in Christ Jesus.” Outside of Christ Jesus? Still “foolish, weak, lowly, despised, things that are not.” But in Christ Jesus? Righteous. Holy. Redeemed.
Think about those three. Can they be improved upon? If you are already counted righteous, can you become more righteous? More holy? More redeemed? No! You already are those things in Christ. There is no need to level up, no more need to impress, no more need to prove. You are those things right now “in Christ Jesus.” You know what that makes you? Special!
Look at the title of this post. Consider the phrase without the comma. “You’re nothing special.” You’re an Emmet. You don’t bring anything to the table. You don’t stand out. You’re average at best. You’re just… existing.
But insert the comma, and now you have a God-given title and designation. Yes, it still reminds you of who you were on your own (nothing!), but now it also reveals how God views you, how he sees you, who you are to him: you are special.
Never forget what accounts for the difference: the comma. The comma makes all the difference, doesn’t it? Well, the comma is Christ. And that means we have something to brag about. “Therefore, as it is written: ‘Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord’” (v.31). Not you, not me, but the Lord, who chose those who were nothing and calls us special.
Do you know what Emmet ends up doing in The Lego Movie? I won’t spoil the ending, but you can probably imagine. While the movie is imaginary, your life isn’t. You are not. You are very much righteous, holy, and redeemed. That qualifies you to do very special things in Christ’s kingdom. If we think otherwise, it’s only because we’re stuck thinking of who we were on our own and not who we are in Christ Jesus.
But when we remember who we are in Christ Jesus, the sky’s the limit. We can do amazing things for his kingdom. Rather, he can do amazing things through us. Emmet is a made-up Lego character in a fictional movie.
You are not. You are real. You are special. What special things will God do through you?
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