2 Corinthians 3:3-4 You yourselves are our letter of recommendation, written on our hearts, to be known and read by all. And you show that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.
God comforts us so we can comfort.
He forgives us so we can forgive.
And maybe he provides so we can provide.
A production crew for a TV show recently asked to use our church parking lot to station their vehicles, cables and hydraulic lifts for two weeks while filming in our area. That same week, 95 bicyclists riding to raise money for a ministry for homeless kids asked to use our building as a stop on their 500-mile trek. We saw these incidents as opportunities to practice kindness and generosity. We sought to be a letter of recommendation that demonstrates the love of Christ.
In calling us to give what we receive, we followers of Jesus become his “letters of recommendation” to people. There’s no Plan B in God’s design to reconcile the world to himself through us. It’s a pretty big assignment, above our pay-grade, to be sure. But God makes us competent to carry it out. And the more we rely on him (instead of ourselves), the more competent we become to deliver it (2 Corinthians 3:5-6).
Letters worth reading are embodied in lives worth observing.
Dr. S Michael Craven writes, “Worship is how we conduct our business, raise our children, care for our neighbors, create art, pursue justice, engage politics, and steward any part of creation. To exalt Christ is to live under His lordship wherever He has placed us. The early Church transformed the ancient world by creating communities of sacrificial love that embodied His message.”
Paul told the Corinthian church they were his letters of recommendation. Their lives proved his ministry was authentic. A ministry that led them to Christ and transformed their lives. Although they were far from perfect, he commended them for how they were growing in their faith. How they had become letters worth reading.
Our small church would never be classified as “mega.” But God allowed us to use what we had to hopefully give some travelers a letter worth reading. He will do the same for you, friend.