By Lisa Wilmore
Scripture to ponder: “Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, as some do, letters of recommendation to you, or from you? 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.”
(2 Corinthians 3:1–3 ESV)
My Christian Friends,
Recently, one of my senior students approached me to write a letter of recommendation for an opportunity that had come her way. She wanted to present the best version of herself through a strong written endorsement. Naturally, as anyone would do when asked to support such a dedicated and scholarly student, I wrote the best letter I could, which highlighted not only her academic achievements but, most importantly, her active involvement in church ministry. I truly put my heart into it and did my best to express what I genuinely felt.
In our aforementioned Text, Paul writes a profound truth to the Corinthian believers. In his second letter to them, Paul addresses a delicate but powerful issue-that is, how we validate or commend ourselves to others, especially within the ministry. Particularly, at the time, it was common practice to carry written letters of recommendation to prove one’s authority, credibility, or connection to others in leadership (LASB, 2032). But Paul boldly states that he and his fellow ministers do not need such written validation. Because the transformed lives of those they have served stand as living testimonies to the truth of their calling. Paul writes, “You yourselves are our letter of recommendation,” written on our hearts, to be known and read by all” (vs.2). This reminds us that the true measure of one’s impact for Christ is not what can be written on paper, but what is written on hearts.
When those who minister to others are in need of a letter of recommendation, they can trust the human heart to reveal what the Spirit of the Lord has provided. The Spirit writes what ink cannot. He does not engrave on tablets of stone or pen on paper, but on the living hearts of God’s people. This tells us something powerful about Christian witness and leadership. Whether we are pastors, teachers, parents, students, or simply believers seeking to live out our faith, the lives we touch will become our letter. In fact, our legacy is not in titles or resumes, but in the testimonies of transformed lives. “The human heart contains your letter of recommendation.”
Dear hearts, what is being written in the hearts of those who you minister to? If someone were to read the “letter” of your influence, what would it say about Christ?
Love you with the Heart of Christ!
Jesus Saves!
