From The Message Bible:

2 Corinthians 3:1-6:
Does it sound like we’re patting ourselves on the back, insisting on our credentials, asserting our authority? Well, we’re not. Neither do we need letters of endorsement, either to you or from you. You yourselves are all the endorsement we need. Your very lives are a letter that anyone can read by just looking at you. Christ himself wrote it—not with ink, but with God’s living Spirit; not chiseled into stone, but carved into human lives—and we publish it. We couldn’t be more sure of ourselves in this—that you, written by Christ himself for God, are our letter of recommendation. We wouldn’t think of writing this kind of letter about ourselves. Only God can write such a letter. His letter authorizes us to help carry out this new plan of action. The plan wasn’t written out with ink on paper, with pages and pages of legal footnotes, killing your spirit. It’s written with Spirit on spirit, his life on our lives!

Last weekend I was working alongside someone, and while working we were talking about our stories, or if you like, our letters. Our stories are commendations to God, but also for the people who have invested in our lives. People who had lived out their faith by sharing it with us. People who valued us enough to take their time and walk with us on our journey. The letters are written by God of course, we get to take part in the writing though by making ourselves available to Him, and being obedient when He calls.

For some reason God allows us to be part of His ministry, to be doing stuff for Him, with Him. We see God starting this relationship right at the beginning of the Bible. In Genesis 2 we read:

15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.

and

19 Now the Lord God had formed out of the ground all the wild animals and all the birds in the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. 20 So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds in the sky and all the wild animals.

God has a work for you to do. Has has created you uniquely to do that work, and equipped you with everything you need, even (and sometimes especially) what seem like bad or painful experiences. Parts of your life maybe you don't like to think of.

Pure gold is formed in a crucible. Those experiences were painful at the time, and maybe still are, but they may help you relate to someone going through a similar journey. May help you guide them. May help write a letter on their hearts.

Make yourself available to God today, who knows what the two of you will do together!

Prayer:
God, I want to be a willing helper. I love that you are writing a living letter on my heart, and I praise you for the people who worked with you to write it. I make myself available to you today to do the same, to invest in others so that your name may be glorified.

Rob Gibson  |  Elder

Rob and his wonderful wife Helen were born in England, married in 1987. They moved to the USA in 1996, where they have lived since in California, Massachusetts, and Texas. They have 6 lovely children, Sarah, Claire, Nic, Laura, Jacqueline and Victoria, all of whom were homeschooled. Rob gave his life to the Lord in 1987, at the same time that Helen rededicated herself. Rob has been on a number of mission trips to Costa Rica, has led vacation Bible schools, soccer ministry, small groups, children’s and youth ministry, acted as lead program manager during the Hutto church plant, and is currently Chairman of the board of Directors at Camp Wilderness Ridge. Rob works at the Sears Call Center as Director of the Technical Solutions Group. Helen is an experienced homeschool mom, and is involved in children’s and small group ministry.